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The soil immediately surrounding plant roots, the rhizosphere, is home to complex microbial communities that play a crucial role in plant health by making nutrients available for plants to grow. Recent research has shown that these microbes follow a daily rhythm. Since plants also have internal body clocks that control when they take up nutrients, plants might be synchronizing their microbial partners so that nutrient-cycling happens exactly when the plant needs it.

The newly funded RHYTHMS project will test this idea and, for the first time, reveal the mechanisms behind these microbial rhythms. Understanding this process could open new ways to manage soil for healthier, more productive plants, and help design agricultural systems that are both sustainable and resilient to global challenges.

Press release on the Award