Synthetic microbial communities for enhanced plant growth under biotic and abiotic stress

Overview

This research program develops synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) composed of plant growth-promoting (PGP) endophytic bacteria and fungi to enhance crop performance under combined biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The SynCom approach leverages beneficial microbes isolated from crop wild relative halophytes—plants naturally adapted to saline environments—to address two of the most pressing challenges in agriculture: soil salinization and plant disease. By combining multiple compatible isolates rather than relying on single-strain bioinoculants, the SynCom strategy aims to deliver more robust and consistent improvements in plant biomass, nutrient acquisition, and pathogen suppression.

The offering is particularly relevant for agricultural biotechnology companies, seed producers, and crop protection firms seeking next-generation biological inputs that perform reliably under real-world stress conditions where conventional bioinoculants often fail.

Technical specifications

Microbial library and isolate selection:

• Curated collection of over 600 bacterial and fungal endophytic isolates sourced primarily from halophytes
• Individual isolates identified with salt tolerance exceeding 10% NaCl
• Isolates confirmed to inhibit growth of multiple plant pathogens (4 fungal and 2 bacterial species)
• Motility screening completed as an indicator of plant colonization capability

SynCom composition:

• 20 salt-tolerant isolates (surviving 15% NaCl) with confirmed plant colonization ability
• 15 isolates with demonstrated inhibition of multiple plant pathogens in vitro and/or in planta
• Further characterization through nitrogen fixation testing and whole-genome sequencing to inform rational SynCom design

Validation approach:

• Testing on Arabidopsis and tomato under four stress regimes: no stress, 15% NaCl salt stress, pathogen challenge alone, and combined salt plus pathogen stress
• Performance evaluation in sterile soil using iterative SynCom formulations to identify optimal combinations
• Transcriptomic profiling of plants treated with the best-performing SynCom to understand gene expression effects

Key demonstrated results:

• 1.0–2.3× increase in dry leaf weight in Arabidopsis under non-stress conditions with 7-isolate inoculations
• Retained growth promotion under 30-day 15% NaCl stress with 3 isolates
• Halotolerant isolate MTR17h showed disease suppression in the Verticillium/eggplant system comparable to a commercial fungicide (TRIANUM-P)

Technology readiness level

The technology is currently at an early-to-mid research and development stage. Individual isolates have been characterized for salt tolerance, pathogen inhibition, motility, and preliminary plant colonization. Initial in planta proof-of-concept trials have demonstrated growth promotion under both normal and saline conditions, as well as pathogen suppression comparable to a commercial fungicide. The next phase involves rational design and iterative testing of multi-isolate SynCom formulations under combined stress conditions, supported by genomic and transcriptomic analyses. The program is positioned for collaborative advancement toward field validation and eventual development of commercial bioinoculant products.