Work

Plants evolve with their microbes to protect themselves: an avenue to develop plant—microbial-based solutions for low-chemical agriculture

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Plants evolve with their microbes to protect themselves: an avenue to develop plant—microbial-based solutions for low-chemical agriculture The evolutionary processes underlying interactions between hosts and their associated microbes remain a black box that biologists have long sought to illuminate. A major limitation has been the lack of knowledge about precise molecular events, which are now increasingly accessi-ble through next-generation sequencing technologies. The ERC Starting Grant HOLOE2Plant project leads the way in host-microbiome evolutionary studies, utilising fast-cycling B. rapa plants and synthetic microbial communities. By harnessing high-throughput sequencing, experimental coevolution and advanced modelling, it unravels plant-microbiome interactions under pathogen pressure across multiple plant generations. By validating the holobiont concept and identifying key genetic mechanisms, HOLOE2Plant sets the stage for designing microbial consortia for bio-control and biostimulation, advancing functional evolutionary science in service of agroecology.

Source: The Project Repository Journal

DOI: 10.54050/prj2624520

Authors: Claudia Bartoli, Fabienne Vailleau

Institution: Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement

Language: English

Topic: Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W7160151470