Environmental Microbiome is calling for submissions to our Collection on 'Adaptation of microbial communities to climate change.'

Climate change is one of the most critical challenges of our time, with far-reaching impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. Microbial communities play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance and ecosystem function. This collection will explore how microbial communities respond, evolve, and adapt to changing climatic conditions. Topics of interest include but are not limited to, the impact of rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events of microbial diversity, distribution, and metabolic processes. Additionally, studies investigating the role of microbial communities in mediating climate change effects such as carbon cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and biogeochemical interactions are also welcome.

By bringing together cutting-edge research in this field, this collection aims to enhance our understanding of the intricate relationships between microbial communities and climate change, providing invaluable insights for conservation and management of ecosystems under unprecedented environmental challenges.

All submissions in this collection undergo the journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief. As an open access publication, this journal levies an article processing fee (details here). We recognize that many key stakeholders may not have access to such resources and are committed to supporting participation in this issue wherever resources are a barrier. For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email OAfundingpolicy@springernature.com or the Editor-in-Chief.

This is a Cross-Journal Collection with Microbiome, Environmental Microbiome, npj Science of Plants, and npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. Please click here to see the collection page for npj Science of Plants and npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.

Modern agriculture needs to sustainably increase crop productivity while preserving ecosystem health. As soil degradation, climate variability, and diminishing input efficiency continue to threaten agricultural outputs, there is a pressing need to enhance plant performance through ecologically-sound strategies. In this context, plant-associated microbiomes represent a powerful, yet underexploited, resource to improve plant vigor, nutrient acquisition, stress resilience, and overall productivity.

The plant microbiome—comprising bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms inhabiting the rhizosphere, endosphere, and phyllosphere—plays a fundamental role in shaping plant physiology and development. Increasing evidence demonstrates that beneficial microbes mediate key processes such as nutrient solubilization and uptake, hormonal regulation, photosynthetic efficiency, and systemic resistance to (a)biotic stresses. However, to fully harness these capabilities, a mechanistic understanding of the molecular dialogues and functional traits underpinning plant-microbe interactions is essential.

Recent advances in multi-omics technologies, synthetic biology, and high-throughput functional screening have accelerated our ability to dissect these interactions at molecular, cellular, and system levels. Yet, significant challenges remain in translating these mechanistic insights into robust microbiome-based applications for agriculture. Core knowledge gaps include identifying microbial functions that are conserved across environments and hosts, understanding the signaling networks and metabolic exchanges between partners, and predicting microbiome assembly and stability under field conditions.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Reviews, Perspectives, and Meta-analyses that delve into the functional and mechanistic basis of plant-microbiome interactions. We are particularly interested in contributions that integrate molecular microbiology, systems biology, plant physiology, and computational modeling to unravel the mechanisms by which microbial communities enhance plant performance and/or mechanisms employed by plant hosts to assemble beneficial microbiomes. Studies ranging from controlled experimental systems to applied field trials are encouraged, especially those aiming to bridge the gap between fundamental understanding and translational outcomes such as microbial consortia, engineered strains, or microbiome-informed management practices.

Ultimately, this collection aims to advance our ability to rationally design and apply microbiome-based strategies by deepening our mechanistic insight into how plants select beneficial microbiomes and in turn how microbes shape plant health and productivity.

This collection is open for submissions from all authors on the condition that the manuscript falls within both the scope of the collection and the journal it is submitted to.

All submissions in this collection undergo the relevant journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief of the relevant journal. As an open access publication, participating journals levy an article processing fee (Microbiome, Environmental Microbiome). We recognize that many key stakeholders may not have access to such resources and are committed to supporting participation in this issue wherever resources are a barrier. For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email OAfundingpolicy@springernature.com or the Editor-in-Chief of the journal where the article is being submitted.

Collection policies for Microbiome and Environmental Microbiome:

Please refer to this page. Please only submit to one journal, but note authors have the option to transfer to another participating journal following the editors’ recommendation.

Collection policies for npj Science of Plants and npj Biofilms and Microbiomes:

Please refer to npj's Collection policies page for full details.