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Soil Microbiome Research

Functions of the Soil Microbiome

A central tenet of Soil microbiomes research is the characterization of the co-evolutionary mechanisms within microbial communities in specific soils, and elucidation of their environmental functions. The functional attributes of a soil microbiome have profound implications for fundamental human needs encompassing food production, environmental protection, and healthcare:

Soil microbiomes hold pivotal roles as primary decomposers within our planetary ecosystem, representing multifaceted environmental and ecological functions. They serve as the engine for biotransformation of vital resources within the soil-plant system. Processes such as decomposition and accumulation of soil organic matter and nitrogen conversion, including biological nitrogen fixation, are invariably linked with microbial activities. Traditional soil microbiology has honed in on these principles, with research focusing on facets such as element transformation rates, nutrient assimilation rates, and correlative associations with relevant soil enzyme activities and functional genes.

Soil microbiomes operate as purification systems for environmental contaminants by effecting biotransformation processes that significantly influence the deposition and form of pollutants within the soil - a key aspect to the soil's function in absorbing pollutants. For organic pollutants, microbial catabolic and co-metabolic processes catalyze transformations or complete breakdowns and mineralization of these pollutants.

Soil microbiomes function as regulators within the context of global environmental change, influencing biogeochemical processes and thereby modulating greenhouse gas emissions and absorption. Soil microbiomes may potentially exacerbate global warming due to their influence on ecosystemic greenhouse gas emissions, inclusive of methane and nitrous oxide. Moreover, they represent a prominent source of nitrous oxide emissions.

Soil microbiomes constitute a critical 'link' orchestrating interplay between above-ground and below-ground interactions within terrestrial ecosystems. They serve as robust drivers of plant diversity and productivity within these ecosystems, directly participating in the delivery of plant nutrients and of soil nutrient cycling.

Soil microbiomes represent a repository of bioactive substances, intimately associated with human health. Beneficial microbes within the soil microbiome can inhibit the propagation and transmission of pathogens affecting humans, plants, and animals, and modifications to land usage can affect human health through alterations to soil microbial diversity. Importantly, soil microbes are a significant resource for secondary metabolite products, many of which have direct applications to healthcare; indeed, numerous natural antibiotics are derived from soil microbes.

Research on Soil Microbiome

Soil microbiomes constitute an integral component of global biodiversity. However, given the inherent complexity of soil as the most intricate heterogeneous system in the natural environment, this fact underscores both the substantial variety within micro-environments of soil and the extensive diversity of soil microbes. Yet, for an extended period, our understanding of microbial diversity has been markedly deficient compared to that of other life forms. This knowledge lacuna is mainly attributed to limitations in research methodologies and the level of focus accorded to these studies, rendering the assessment of diversity, particularly in prokaryotic single-cell microbes, a complex undertaking when based on cultivation.

In recent research, it has been posited that the lion's share of soil microbial resources remains yet unexplored. Traditional research techniques, primarily those leveraging cultivation, have hit a roadblock in progress. Even the advent of numerous novel methodologies grounded on rRNA or rDNA have only managed to unveil a minor fraction of the microbial spectrum. Consequently, critical scientific issues in the sphere of soil microbiology, at present and in the future, seem to revolve around improving pure cultivation techniques for soil microbes, enhancing genomic analyses methods intrinsic to soil environments, integrating microbial diversity in soil with ecological functions, and fortifying the application techniques of soil microbes.

Isolation and Cultivation of Soil Microbiome

To study the characteristics of various microorganisms, it is often essential to place them into a state of pure cultivation – where all cells in a given culture would belong to a particular species or strain of microorganism. However, in nature, diverse microorganisms coexist in a jumbled manner. As a result, even a small sample harbours a co-existing community of various microorganisms, making the investigation of species richness and uniformity amongst soil microbes an arduous task. The isolation of microbes, hence, becomes a prerequisite. Soil microbial isolation refers to the process of deriving a pure strain or species of microbe from a mixed soil microbial community. Techniques such as dilution plating and streak plate isolation have immensely contributed to the procurement of microbial resources and the growth of the field. Recently, techniques like PCR, 16S rRNA probe hybridisation and fluorescence antibody techniques have been introduced for the isolation and identification of specific microorganisms in the soil environment, especially those deemed uncultivable, offering significant insight.

Advancements in research increasingly highlight the limitations of traditional methodologies, wherein microbes are isolated using artificially defined growth mediums and conditions, followed by analysis through biochemical traits or specific phenotypes. Such approaches, influenced by the selectivity of chosen growth substrates and conditions, fail to comprehensively encapsulate the original structure and ecological functionality of soil microbial communities. Contemporary research methodologies, albeit extensive at the molecular or genetic level, often fall short in yielding complete cellular data or bacterial strains. These methods provide relatively indirect insights into individual soil microbes, capable of addressing microbiological assessments and evaluations of soil quality under differentiated environmental changes or management, but incapable of directly serving the development and application of soil microbiome germplasm resources.

Therefore, only a comprehensive strategy that melds traditional pure culturing techniques, functional analysis and molecular genetics methodologies can perfectly illustrate individual characteristics within microbial ecosystems. The synergy of a plethora of research methods is inevitable for effective soil microbial ecological analysis.

Application of Soil Metagenomics Techniques

Whole genome sequencing enables the identification and description of all genes in a species, reveals new metabolic pathways and gene regulation mechanisms, identifies pathology, toxicology, disease resistance, or other functional genes, and helps perceive gene and species evolution, etc. Soil metagenomics, that is, the direct extraction of microbial genomic DNA (metagenome) from soil environmental samples to establish a metagenomic library, in combination with various screening techniques, facilitates the selection of new genes or bioactive substances from the gene library.

However, soil is a complex system composed of various microenvironments under different physicochemical gradients and intermittent environmental conditions. Soil microbes prefer to inhabit microenvironments with certain boundaries, both dependent on and interacting with other soil organisms. Studies based on micro-scale spatial differentiation show that over 80% of bacteria dwell within the micropores of stable soil aggregates because micropores provide the most favorable growth conditions in terms of moisture and nutrients. Therefore, soil microhabitat structure and spatial differentiation should be the most direct factors affecting soil microbial diversity. Key areas in the soil, some possessing vastly different properties from the entire soil body such as rhizosphere, fertilized areas, etc., are considered as microhabitats. Research has demonstrated that soil aggregate particle size can significantly impact soil pH and the types and quantity of organic matter, which in turn affects the microbial community structure. Accordingly, studying the influence of environmental changes or management differentiation on soil microhabitat structure, and the regulation of microbial diversity by the microenvironment, is of paramount importance.

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Explore and exploit the genomic diversity of soil microbial communities by metagenomics. (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 470–478, 2005)

The Diversity and Functionality of Soil Microbiome

Functional genomics, also referred to as post-genomics, heavily hinges on the achievements and discoveries made in structural genomics. It continually explores and applies novel experimental methodologies. The primary objective of functional genomics is to comprehensively and profoundly analyze gene function on the genomic level. This approach propels biological research from an isolated examination of single genes or proteins, towards a systemic study encompassing multiple genes or proteins. Evidently, this involves revealing the static base sequences of the genome while further delving into the dynamic biological functionality of the genome, including gene function discovery, gene expression, and mutation detection.

The functional diversity of soil microorganisms is tightly interlinked with the functional status of the soil. This diversity is a crucial safeguard for maintaining and demonstrating soil functionality, and simultaneously serves as the foundation for restoring and enhancing soil functionality. Therefore, understanding versatility of these minuscule organisms is not only theoretical in nature, but also presents pragmatic implications in soil health management and recovery.