Work

Predator–Microbe Dynamics Inform Strategies for Robust Synthetic Community Assembly

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) hold great promise for enhancing plant health and productivity, yet their field performance is often inconsistent due to challenges in establishing stable populations within complex rhizosphere environments. Predation by microbial grazers, including protists, nematodes, and bacterial predators, plays a significant role in regulating SynCom engraftment, population dynamics, and functional outcomes, but remains largely overlooked in SynCom design. Here we review the ecological processes governing predator-prey interactions in the rhizosphere, microbial traits conferring resistance to predation, and suggest strategies to incorporate these defences into SynCom assembly. By integrating predator resistance as a design criterion, we argue that SynComs can achieve greater resilience and persistence under natural biotic pressures, reducing variability in SynCom performance and improving their functional reliability in agricultural applications.

Source: Environmental Microbiology

DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.70336

Authors: Eleonora Egidi, Uffe N. Nielsen

Institution: Western Sydney University

Language: English

Topic: Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,640