RESEARCH

Superior organisms are colonized by an astonishing number of microorganisms that surpasses the number of cells of the host. Who are they? What are they doing? Does the host rely on them to survive?

The microbiome concept, i.e. the collection of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms living in association with a given host, was first used in the context of microorganisms sharing the human body space, and after that, several other authors have used this term in other mammals, insects or plants. Microbiomes significantly contributes to the human metabolism, and provide traits that humans do not need to have on themselves. It is suggested that humans are superorganisms and their genetic landscapes include genes embedded in their genome and the genes in our affiliated microbiome. The same view can be transported to other animals or plants which also rely in their microbiome for specific traits. In this context our research focuses on the interactions between complex microbial communities and their hosts, aiming to understand how microbiomes support and sustain life of superior organisms. Our projects explore ecological aspects of the microbiomes using molecular techniques and next-generation sequencing. Currently, the projects are organized under the flag backROOTS.

Back to the Roots: targets the rhizosphere, a hotspot for microbial interactions, where the plant is able to actively select microbes which provide, for example, nutrition and protection against diseases.

Common bean growing in "Terra Preta de Indio" (Photo: R E Silva)

Sheep rumen fluid sampling (photo: R Mendes)