diff --git a/agrifoodpy/pipeline/__init__.py b/agrifoodpy/pipeline/__init__.py
index 26952e7..8982719 100644
--- a/agrifoodpy/pipeline/__init__.py
+++ b/agrifoodpy/pipeline/__init__.py
@@ -2,5 +2,4 @@
 This module provides methods to build a pipeline for the AgriFoodPy package.
 """
 
-from .pipeline import *
-from ..utils.dict_utils import *
\ No newline at end of file
+from .pipeline import *
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/agrifoodpy/pipeline/pipeline.py b/agrifoodpy/pipeline/pipeline.py
index 9104a61..08fda2f 100644
--- a/agrifoodpy/pipeline/pipeline.py
+++ b/agrifoodpy/pipeline/pipeline.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import time
 import yaml
 import importlib
-
+from ..utils.dict_utils import get_dict, set_dict
 
 class Pipeline():
     '''Class for constructing and running pipelines of functions with
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def datablock_write(self, path, value):
             current = current.setdefault(key, {})
         current[path[-1]] = value
 
-    def add_node(self, node, params={}, name=None, index=None):
+    def add_node(self, node, params=None, name=None, index=None):
         """Adds a node to the pipeline, including its function and execution
         parameters.
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def add_node(self, node, params={}, name=None, index=None):
         """
 
         # Copy the parameters to avoid modifying the original dictionaries
-        params = copy.deepcopy(params)
+        params = copy.deepcopy(params) if params is not None else {}
 
         if name is None:
             name = "Node {}".format(len(self.nodes) + 1)
@@ -293,3 +293,81 @@ def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
             return result
         return wrapper
     return pipeline_decorator
+
+
+def pipeline_node(input_keys=None):
+    """ Decorator to make a function compatible with pipeline execution
+    
+    If a datablock is passed as a kwarg, the function will be executed in
+    pipeline mode, and the values of the parameters named in input_keys will
+    be interpreted as datablock lookup keys. The corresponding objects will be
+    extracted from the datablock and passed to the function. Unregistered
+    keyword arguments will be passed directly to the function. The decorated
+    function takes a "return_key" kwarg to specify the key under which the
+    function output will be stored in the datablock. If not provided, the
+    function name will be used as the return key.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    input_keys: string or list of strings, optional
+        List of decorated function parameter names whose values will be used as
+        datablock lookup keys in pipeline mode.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    wrapper: function
+        The decorated function
+    """
+
+    if input_keys is not None:
+        if isinstance(input_keys, str):
+            input_keys = [input_keys]
+    else:
+        input_keys = []
+
+    def pipeline_decorator(func):
+        reserved = {"datablock", "return_key"}
+        if reserved & set(signature(func).parameters):
+            raise ValueError(f"Function {func.__name__} has reserved parameter"
+                             f" names {reserved & set(signature(func).parameters)}."
+                             "Please rename these parameters to use the"
+                             "pipeline_node decorator.")
+        
+        func_params = signature(func).parameters
+        unknown = set(input_keys) - set(func_params.keys())
+        if unknown:
+            raise ValueError(f"input_keys {unknown} not found in parameters "
+                              f"of '{func.__name__}'")
+        
+        @wraps(func)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+
+            # Pop wrapper-specific kwargs
+            datablock = kwargs.pop("datablock", None)
+            return_key = kwargs.pop("return_key", func.__name__)
+
+            # Bind positional and keyword args to their parameter names
+            func_sig = signature(func)
+            try:
+                bound = func_sig.bind(*args, **kwargs)
+            except TypeError as e:
+                raise TypeError(
+                    f"Invalid arguments for function {func.__name__}."
+                ) from e
+            
+            bound.apply_defaults()
+
+            if datablock is None:
+                return func(*bound.args, **bound.kwargs)
+            
+            else:
+                for key in input_keys:
+                    bound.arguments[key] = get_dict(datablock,
+                                                    bound.arguments[key])
+                result = func(*bound.args, **bound.kwargs)
+
+                set_dict(datablock, return_key, result)
+                
+                return datablock
+        return wrapper
+    return pipeline_decorator
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/agrifoodpy/pipeline/tests/test_pipeline.py b/agrifoodpy/pipeline/tests/test_pipeline.py
index 4e05d49..8170a81 100644
--- a/agrifoodpy/pipeline/tests/test_pipeline.py
+++ b/agrifoodpy/pipeline/tests/test_pipeline.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-from agrifoodpy.pipeline.pipeline import Pipeline, standalone
+from agrifoodpy.pipeline import Pipeline, standalone
+import pytest
 
 def test_init():
     pipeline = Pipeline()
@@ -202,4 +203,128 @@ def pipeline_decorated(x, out_key, datablock=None):
     
     pipeline.add_node(pipeline_decorated, params={'x': 'x', 'out_key': 'result'})
     pipeline.run()
-    assert pipeline.datablock['result'] == 15
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert pipeline.datablock['result'] == 15
+
+def test_pipeline_node_decorator():
+
+    from agrifoodpy.pipeline.pipeline import Pipeline, pipeline_node
+
+    test_datablock_single = {'value1': 5, 'value2': 10}
+    test_pipeline_single = Pipeline(test_datablock_single)
+
+    # Test decorated function with single input key and no return key
+    @pipeline_node('x')
+    def double_numbers(x):
+        return x * 2
+    
+    test_pipeline_single.add_node(
+        double_numbers,
+        params={'x': 'value1'}
+        )
+    
+    test_pipeline_single.run()
+    assert double_numbers(test_datablock_single['value1']) == 10
+    assert double_numbers.__name__ in test_pipeline_single.datablock
+    assert test_pipeline_single.datablock[double_numbers.__name__] == 10
+
+    # Test decorated function with single input key and unregistered key
+    @pipeline_node('value')
+    def scale_numbers(value, factor=3):
+        return value * factor
+    
+    test_datablock_mixed = {'value': 5}
+
+    test_pipeline_mixed = Pipeline(test_datablock_mixed)
+    test_pipeline_mixed.add_node(
+        scale_numbers,
+        params={'value': 'value', 'factor': 4}
+        )
+    test_pipeline_mixed.run()
+    assert scale_numbers(test_datablock_mixed['value'], factor=4) == 20
+    assert scale_numbers.__name__ in test_pipeline_mixed.datablock
+    assert test_pipeline_mixed.datablock[scale_numbers.__name__] == 20
+
+    # Test decorated function with multiple input keys and no return key
+    test_datablock_multiple = {'value1': 5, 'value2': 10}
+    test_pipeline_multiple = Pipeline(test_datablock_multiple)
+
+    @pipeline_node(['x', 'y'])
+    def sum_numbers(x, y):
+        return x + y
+    
+    test_pipeline_multiple.add_node(
+        sum_numbers,
+        params={'x': 'value1', 'y': 'value2'}
+        )
+    
+    test_pipeline_multiple.run()
+    assert sum_numbers(
+        test_datablock_multiple['value1'],
+        test_datablock_multiple['value2']) == 15
+    assert sum_numbers.__name__ in test_pipeline_multiple.datablock
+    assert test_pipeline_multiple.datablock[sum_numbers.__name__] == 15
+
+    # Test decorated function with multiple input keys and return key
+    test_datablock_with_return = {'value1': 5, 'value2': 10}
+    test_pipeline_with_return = Pipeline(test_datablock_with_return)
+    return_key = "result"
+
+    @pipeline_node(['x', 'y'])
+    def subtract_numbers(x, y):
+        return x - y
+    
+    test_pipeline_with_return.add_node(
+        subtract_numbers,
+        params={'x': 'value1', 'y': 'value2', "return_key": return_key}
+        )
+    
+    test_pipeline_with_return.run()
+    assert subtract_numbers(
+        test_datablock_with_return['value1'],
+        test_datablock_with_return['value2']) == -5
+    assert return_key in test_pipeline_with_return.datablock
+    assert test_pipeline_with_return.datablock[return_key] == -5
+
+    #test decorated function with external function
+    test_datablock_external = {'value1': [1, 2, 3]}
+    test_pipeline_external = Pipeline(test_datablock_external)
+
+    import numpy as np
+
+    test_pipeline_external.add_node(
+        pipeline_node(input_keys="a")(np.mean),
+        params={'a': 'value1', 'return_key': "mean_result"}
+        )
+    
+    test_pipeline_external.run()
+    assert np.mean(test_datablock_external['value1']) == 2
+    assert "mean_result" in test_pipeline_external.datablock
+    assert test_pipeline_external.datablock["mean_result"] == 2
+
+    # Test decorated function with no input keys
+    test_pipeline_no_input = Pipeline()
+
+    @pipeline_node([])
+    def return_constant():
+        return 42
+    
+    test_pipeline_no_input.add_node(
+        return_constant
+        )
+    
+    test_pipeline_no_input.run()
+    assert return_constant() == 42
+    assert return_constant.__name__ in test_pipeline_no_input.datablock
+    assert test_pipeline_no_input.datablock[return_constant.__name__] == 42
+
+    # Test decorated function with reserved parameter names
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="reserved parameter names.*datablock"):
+        @pipeline_node(['x'])
+        def reserved_param_node(x, datablock=None):
+            pass
+
+    # Test decorated function with unknown input keys    
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="input_keys.*not found in parameters"):
+        @pipeline_node(['wrong_key'])
+        def unknown_input_node(right_key):
+            pass