Working Groups
Coherence and Effectiveness Of The Working Plan
Description Of The Working Groups, Tasks And Activities
To address the challenges, four Working Groups (WG) have been identified. WG1 focuses mainly on methodologies to characterize the functional diversity of beneficial root-associated micro organism populations, with an emphasis on meta-analyses of currently available data and coordination of future resource/tools development. WG2 focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions with the beneficial root-associated microorganisms, with an emphasis on the effect of multi-partite interactions and resilience towards stressful environmental conditions.WG3 focuses on the ecological and economic services provided by beneficial root-associated microorganisms. WG4 focuses in identifying levers to improve services provided by beneficial root-associated microorganisms in agriculture.The WG1, 2 and 3, addressing questions on beneficial root-associated microorganisms at different levels, provides results/knowledge/meta-analyses to feed the WG4. The WG4 integrates all Action results and link them to stakeholder needs and requests.
The WG1, 2 and 3, addressing questions on beneficial root-associated microorganisms at different levels, provide results/knowledge/meta-analyses to feed the WG4. The WG4 will integrate all Action results and link them to stakeholder needs and requests.
Express your interest to join any of the working groups by applying below.
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Photo credit : Iaroslavna Fable
WG1: Functional characterization of beneficial microorganism diversity
Objective: to retrieve and reanalyze sequencing data present in the current literature of the plant root microbiota using a common computational framework. Focus on services provided by beneficial root-associated microorganisms and identify whether any taxa and functions could be conserved across plant lineages.
Specific objectives:
- To develop a curated database of sequencing studies describing beneficial root- associated microorganisms.
- To reconstruct the taxonomic affiliation of plant beneficial root-associated microorganisms across plant lineages.
- To infer the functional potential of beneficial root-associated microorganisms by interrogating large-scale genomic datasets, and evaluate the efficiency of the services they provide.
Photo credit : Marcela Mendoza, Louis Mercy, Jan
WG2: Molecular mechanisms associated with beneficial interaction networks
Objective: to define the similarities and differences of the molecular mechanisms regulating the establishment and functioning of beneficial root-associated microorganism associations, and molecular mechanisms associated to cross-regulations occurring during complex microbial interactions.
The collaboration between expert researchers in the field will allow to determine how these different beneficial interactions co-exist, compete and have potential synergistic effects on plant growth and protection against diseases and abiotic stress. Meta-analyses of the literature will identify gaps in knowledge and propose future research lines and management strategies for the use of beneficial root-associated microorganisms, either individually or in consortia, in sustainable agriculture.
Specific objectives:
- To summarize knowledge on specific and common molecular mechanisms controlling beneficial root-associated microbial interactions.
- To provide a comprehensive analysis of molecular mechanisms that govern and/or are modulated during complex beneficial root-associated microbial interactions.
- To evaluate how these molecular mechanisms are regulated by environmental factors in the frame of agricultural practices and of the global climate change context.
Photo credit : Louis Mercy, Jan
WG3: Ecological and economical services provided by the root beneficial interaction networks
Objective: to establish concepts and frameworks to assess and quantify services provided by beneficial root-associated microorganisms to plant/crop growth, yields and nutritional quality, as well as soil and ecosystem health. Quantify ecological and economic values of the beneficial interaction networks under a variety of climatic scenarios.
Specific objectives:
- Provide overview of methodologies used to assess ecosystem and economical services provided by beneficial root-associated microorganisms – direct or indirect (e.g., molecular proxies)
- Provide a comprehensive meta-analysis of benefits (mineral nutrition, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance/resistance, soil, water and air quality) conferred by beneficial microorganisms/microbiomes
- Propose a framework to determine economic value(s) of the benefits, considering socio-economic actors, including end-users and citizens, and boundary conditions such as agricultural management and/or global climate changes.
- Estimate the potential of beneficial interaction networks to help secure agricultural production based upon stable, changing, or fluctuating climates.
Photo credit : Iaroslavna Fable
WG4: Managing and improving beneficial interaction networks under field conditions
Objective: to facilitate the implementation of scientifically well-supported strategies for improvement of beneficial root-associated microorganism interactions, as well as the introduction of beneficial root-associated microorganisms in agriculture.
Specific objectives:
- To identify barriers limiting the use of beneficial root-associated microorganisms under field conditions.
- To propose recommendations on beneficial root-associated microorganism inoculant properties and quality.
- To propose methodologies for evaluation of the effect of beneficial root-associated microorganisms in field conditions.
- To propose strategies for co-selection of plants and microorganisms.
Photo credit : Marcela Mendoza, Louis Mercy
