Metagenomic investigation of the microbiomes of plants adapted to phosphorus nutritional limitation

Abstract

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant development, thus it is intensely consumed by modern farming systems. In order to reduce dependence on phosphate fertilizers, an emerging strategy is utilization of inocula containing microorganisms capable of increasing phosphorus uptake by plants. Hence, plant microbiomes that colonize phosphorus-depleted soils represent a natural reservoir of microorganisms with biotechnological potential. In this context, we propose the bioinformatic investigation of the metagenomes of microbial communities associated with two plant species capable of growth in the phosphorus-impoverished soils of the Brazilian campos rupestres. Throughout the development of this project, genomic and transcriptomic sequencing data obtained from these communities will be analyzed with the goal of unveiling their taxonomic compositions and molecular mechanisms. With this knowledge, we hope to better understand the role of microbiomes in plant nutrition under phosphorus limitation and contribute to the development of new agricultural technologies. (AU)