Nature Microbiology, Published online: 30 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02498-xHybridization of wild and cultivated rice plants improves nitrogen use efficiency through microbiome re-domestication.

The immune signal SA triggers metabolic changes to activate SnRK1 while inhibiting TOR. These central metabolic kinases antagonistically phosphorylate the key immune regulator NPR1, thereby coupling cellular metabolic state to systemic acquired resistance.

Dysbiosis, the disruption of plant-associated microbial communities, is increasingly recognized as a driver of impaired plant health. Notably, plant dysbiosis parallels disruptions of the human gut microbiome, where imbalances similarly contribute to host dysfunction and disease. Here, we discuss the current understanding of plant dysbiosis by integrating host–microbiome interactions and emerging analytical methods. Dysbiosis can extend beyond local compartments, affecting systemic processes such as immunity and nutrient acquisition. Advances in sequencing and quantitative metrics now enable its measurement at the population level, while experimental evidence shows that restoring microbial balance can recover plant function. We highlight translational strategies, including microbiome-informed breeding (Microbiome genes or M genes), synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), and soil microbial priming, to enhance plant resilience. We propose a three-tiered framework for studying and interpreting plant microbiome dysbiosis that integrates compositional profiling, functional omics, and host-performance assessment, and we introduce the concept of functional dysbiosis. We also outline how host-genome-informed M-gene selection, metabolite monitoring, and rationally defined microbial community (SynCom) design can translate this framework into practical crop management strategies.

Bentham Lab, Centre for Programmable Biological Matter, Durham University. Structural biology and de novo protein design applied to host-pathogen interactions, plant immunity, and neglected tropical d...

As a graduate student, I would root a supermarket-bought basil plant in water to propagate it in order to satisfy my herb-craving needs. In fact, many plan

Head of Applied Genomics

Abstract. Pericarp color is a key trait selected during rice domestication. Although most modern cultivars have a white pericarp, ancestral rice likely had

What I told early-career researchers about prediction, rigour, failure, priors — and the tyranny of bar graphs.

Nominations for the 2027 Awards are Open! IS-MPMI’s 2027 awards recognized the outstanding service, scientific innovations, and significant accomplishments of our members​ with the Early Career Achiev...

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Genetically encoded biosensors are central to plant cell biology, but low reporter signal can limit their use. Here, we developed modular intronised fluorophores to improve reporter output in transien...

Early in her career, HHMI Investigator Keiko Torii figured out how plant cells talk to each other. Three decades later, she’s still listening — and uncovering exactly what they’re saying.

The apoplast is a primary location for interactions between plants and invasive pathogens and is the site where many pathogen-secreted effectors are perceived by cell surface immune receptors to activ...

The SARD1/CBP60g transcriptional node distinctly influences different stress-inducible plant metabolic pathways. It both functions in the biosynthesis and in downstream signaling of the systemic acqu....

Plants rely on sophisticated cell-to-cell communication to perceive environmental changes and coordinate appropriate responses. Among the signalling molecu

Ayano Wu, Seto Yoshiya, Junko Kyozuka, Yuki Hata; Generation of KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE2 loss-of-function mutants in Ceratopteris richardii using a CRISPR/Cas

Nature - Mechanisms of Transcriptional Regulation by Salicylic Acid Receptors

Plants and other photosynthetic organisms interact with their environment and surrounding microbiota through specialized associations. A global core microbiota has been proposed at high taxonomic levels, such as the order level. However, it remains unclear which environmental factors and how microbe-microbe interactions drive variation of this core microbiota at lower taxonomic resolution. Here, we leveraged the environmental diversity of 141 sites across the southwest of France to characterize algal populations, and their associated bacterial and fungal microbiota. We then performed a meta-analysis, combining these data with published datasets to formally identify the global core microbiota of terrestrial photosynthetic organisms, which comprises seven bacterial and five fungal orders. We next investigated diversity within this core microbiota and the environmental drivers shaping site-specific community composition. While environmental factors have a low impact on the total relative abundance of core orders, the core microbiota at the ASV-level is impacted by climatic factors, edaphic factors, and plant community descriptors. Using interaction network analysis, we finally explored how microbe-microbe interactions contribute to the assembly of stable core communities. Our results show that core ASVs occupy central positions in algal-associated microbial networks and that distinct core orders drive site-specific variation in core microbiota structure. Together, these findings highlight the importance of both environmental context and microbial interactions in shaping the composition and stability of the core microbiota associated with photosynthetic organisms. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. European Research Council, 951444 – PATHOCOM, erc-stg-948219, EPYC Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR-10-LABX-41 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, https://ror.org/00cwqg982, BB/ X011054/1, BBS/E/F/000PR13631

The 26S proteasome is essential for proteostasis and constitutes one of the most conserved molecular machineries in eukaryotes. Its homeostasis is maintained by a mechanistically conserved feedback lo...

Large networks are particularly beneficial to researchers in under-represented groups.

Full-time - Permanent- closing date 16 October 2026

The official journal of the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. Publishes original articles reporting significant findings in broad aspects of plant biology.

The Department of Biology at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) seeks an individual with a strong record of accomplishment in microbiology broadly defined for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assista...

Lichens are stable multipartite symbioses in which a fungal mycobiont associates with one or more photosynthetic partners while hosting complex microbiomes. Secreted antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) have...

University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!

Abstract. Defined microbial communities (DMCs; also known as SynComs) offer a promising strategy to enhance plant growth and stress tolerance by harnessing

Effective plant immunity requires precise spatial coordination of immune responses across cell-types to restrict pathogens while preventing tissue damage, yet the intracellular pathways that organize ...

Strengthening Cambridge's leadership in bacteriology research Bacterial infection and antimicrobial resistance remain among the most pressing global health challenges of our time. At Cambridge, the De...