Plant probiotic rhizobacteria discovery and synthetic rhizomicrobiome development

Overview

This research program focuses on identifying, characterizing, and engineering plant probiotic rhizobacteria—the beneficial soil microbes that colonize plant roots and promote growth, health, and stress tolerance. The team has assembled a unique microbial collection of approximately 200 isolates drawn from both standard agricultural soils and the extreme rhizospheric soils of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest environments on Earth. By studying how these microbes support plant survival under harsh conditions such as high salinity, the program aims to uncover novel gene functions that drive plant–microbe mutualism. The work includes building synthetic rhizomicrobiomes—defined consortia of microbial strains designed to deliver predictable, enhanced plant-beneficial activities—and engineering improved rhizobacterial strains for use as next-generation biofertilizers.

Technical specifications

Key capabilities and features:

• Diverse rhizobacterial collection comprising ~200 isolates, including characterized Bacillus species from normal soils and extremotolerant strains isolated from the Atacama Desert rhizosphere
• Consortium development with an existing synthetic core rhizomicrobiome that promotes plant growth under high salt and other stress conditions, currently being optimized toward a minimal defined formulation
• Functional characterization of root colonization, biofilm formation, plant protection, and growth promotion activities across multiple rhizobacterial species
• Transgenic root culture reporter systems to distinguish beneficial ("friend") from harmful ("foe") microbial species and to identify novel plant growth-promoting activities
• Genetic engineering of selected Bacillus and Pseudomonas strains to enhance root colonization, biofilm formation, and plant growth promotion and protection
• Stress-condition testing under laboratory-simulated harsh environments to validate efficacy for real-world agricultural challenges

Technology readiness level

The program is at an intermediate stage of development. Published peer-reviewed work has validated key Bacillus species for root colonization, biofilm formation, and plant protection. A working Atacama-derived rhizobacterial consortium has demonstrated plant growth promotion under high salt and other stress conditions. Ongoing and future work includes optimizing the synthetic core rhizomicrobiome, characterizing additional Atacama isolates as potential biofertilizers, and genetically engineering strains for improved performance. The research is positioned for translational partnerships to advance these discoveries toward commercial agricultural applications.