Microorganisms play a key role in organic agriculture. The soil microbial communities contribute to soil fertility and participate in climate change mitigation and adaptation through their roles in the nitrogen and carbon cycles. In animals and plants, microbes contribute to growth, health and resilience to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Microorganisms can be used as biocontrol agents or biofertilizer, for example arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
The goal of the Microbiome Theme Coordination is to coordinate microbiome-related activities across departments at FiBL Switzerland. We will develop a communication strategy and increase visibility of microbiome projects within and outside of FiBL. We will identify common research strategies and potential source of funding. Finally, we will define common experimental protocols and establish workflow from sampling to bioinformatics and data analysis.
