VEG-06: How plants and beneficial bacteria work together in microgravity. - NASA Science (.gov)

Colombian science communicator Faber Burgos experiments with levitating water aboard a reduced-gravity flight in 2024. Credit: Wikimedia Commons Every cell in your body has spent its entire existence under gravity’s pull.

Soil-borne diseases hinder crop yield and quality. Liu et al. found that organic fertilizer induces tomato roots to secrete specific microRNAs (miRNAs) likely via exosome-like extracellular vesicles (EVs) to regulate rhizosphere microbiomes and enhance soil disease resistance, revealing a new mechanism and informing sustainable agriculture. MicroRNA-mediated rhizosphere microbiome regulation: a new insight into plant “cry for help” theoryBeing sessile organisms, plants frequently encounter various biotic and abiotic stresses during growth and development. The rhizosphere microbiome is regarded as the “second genome” of plants, and its community structure and functional diversity are directly related to the plant’s survival strategies and ecological adaptability1,2,3. Soil-borne diseases are a key bottleneck limiting crop yield and quality improvement. Conventional chemical control methods not only disrupt the soil microecological balance but also may pose food safety risks4,5.