Engineering synthetic microbial communities to restructure the phytobiome for plant health and productivity.

Abstract

Global agriculture stands at a critical juncture, facing the dual challenge of sustaining food production for a rapidly growing population while mitigating the environmental consequences of intensive farming. The overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has accelerated soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and ecological imbalances, threatening long-term viability. Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) have emerged as a promising approach to reshape plant-microbe interactions, offering a precise, scalable, and ecologically sustainable alternative to conventional agrochemicals. Unlike native microbial communities, which form naturally and vary with environmental conditions, SynComs are deliberately assembled consortium of multiple microbial strains selected for their complementary functions, ecological compatibility, and ability to perform targeted roles within a host or environment. By engineering microbes with targeted functional traits, SynComs enhance nutrient assimilation, bolster plant defence, and fortify resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. The understanding of SynCom design, exploring their composition, functional dynamics, and mechanisms for optimizing plant health is crucial for effective synthesis and application, alongside cutting-edge computational tools and genomic databases that enable precision engineering of microbial communities. Despite their transformative potential, large-scale application of SynComs remains constrained by challenges related to field efficacy, regulatory frameworks, and long-term microbial persistence. Addressing these barriers through interdisciplinary research and policy innovation is imperative. As environmental microbiome moves towards sustainability-driven solutions, SynComs hold the key to revolutionizing farming practices, reducing chemical dependence, and ensuring global food security in an era of mounting environmental stressors.