Building models to predict interactions in plant microbiomes
Microbiologists at ETH Zurich have developed computational models that use nutrients and metabolism of plant-associated bacteria to predict how the microbes interact on the surface of leaves and ultimately form the microbiome.
In brief
- Microbiomes play a key role for plant health and could make agriculture more sustainable – but the principles behind the assembly of their communities have remained largely unknown.
- Researchers at ETH Zurich have shown how bacteria can compete for food, but also cooperate thanks to differences in metabolism – resulting in stably structured communities.
- Their models can accurately predict these interactions and can help to design microbiomes for specific applications in the future.