This article is highlighting how synthetic communities of microbes can be used to predict the outcome of natural microbial communities, and infer the function of certain microbial species in the soil.
This article is focused on the microbial root communities of rice (Oryza sativa), noting that the microbial community’s health tracks very well with the health of the host plant. The community was less stable while the plant was in a vegetative state, but then stabilized once the plant reached a mature state. In addition, the microbial communities were less cohesive under stressed conditions, and more “full” under good conditions.