Webinar: Designing biosensors to inform ecosystem engineering

An effective strategy to enhance the resilience and productivity of biofeedstocks is to engineer plant-associated microbiomes. One example of microbiome manipulation is the use of biofertilizers and biopesticides containing plant growth-promoting microbes to improve plant health and pest resistance. However, these introduced microbes often fail to establish, persist, and consistently deliver benefits under varying environmental conditions. To address these challenges, we are developing novel biosensors to provide real-time measurements of microbial persistence and metabolic activity in complex environments. Here, we describe the development of Bacillus velezensis as a biosensor to support microbiome engineering in the plant rhizosphere. Specifically, we are engineering a gas-based biosensor that produces an indicator gas detectable by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, enabling real-time, non-disruptive monitoring of microbial activity in soils from laboratory to greenhouse scales. We are utilizing a constitutive version of this gas biosensor to investigate how genetic traits influence B. velezensis survival under abiotic and biotic stress conditions, as well as inducible versions to assess the bioavailability of root exudates and their roles in plant-microbe interactions. Overall, these technical advancements will enable critical in situ monitoring of microbial activity, facilitating the identification of genetic modifications that can predictably and safely improve the performance of engineered plant biostimulants. May 03, 2025 News, Webinar

Webinar: 100 Years of Collecting Biological Materials: The Diversity of the ATCC® Collection

For more than 100 years, ATCC® has been supplying the global scientific community with authenticated, high-quality biological resources and standards that support research with the power to transform lives. At its inception in the 1920s, ATCC® was regarded as simply a microbial culture collection—a repository of microorganisms that scientists could draw from to conduct their research to make new discoveries. Today, ATCC® provides the world’s leading scientists with the largest and most diverse collection of biological materials, including microbe products, cell products, molecular genomics tools, and nucleic acids. ATCC® also serves as both a type strain and patent depository. Our vast collection boasts more than 70,000 microbes and 4,000 eukaryotic cell lines used in various industrial applications, and we are continuing to expand. In this presentation, I will highlight the diversity and importance of the collection built over the last 100 years. I will also describe the tools used to authenticate the materials and provide examples of how this collection can be used as a valuable resource for the present and future generations of scientists. April 10, 2025 News, Webinar

Webinar: Beyond the host genome: host genetics and gut microbiome determinism in livestock

Animal-associated microbiomes play a crucial role in host physiology, significantly influencing livestock phenotypes. Understanding these associations is crucial for developing strategies to enhance livestock productivity, improve animal health and welfare, and mitigate the environmental impact of farming. Beyond nutritional interventions like pre- and probiotics, leveraging host genetics offers a promising approach to modulate microbiomes and consequently, host-associated traits. April 09, 2025 News, Webinar

2024 Annual Report

This year has been remarkable for the Phytobiomes Alliance, highlighted by the International Phytobiomes Conference 2024 and significant advancements in phytobiomes science. Through interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative research, we continue to drive progress in plant-based agriculture. March 05, 2025 News