Bioscience Method 2024, Vol.15, No.2, 76-88 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 79 example, SynComs designed for soybean roots have shown significant benefits in promoting plant growth and nutrient acquisition. Field trials demonstrated that these SynComs could enhance nutrient uptake and increase soybean yield by up to 36.1% (Wang et al., 2021). In the field of medicine, SynComs are being developed to treat gastrointestinal disorders. These engineered communities can restore healthy gut microbiota, offering new treatments for infections and chronic inflammatory diseases. By assembling gut-derived microbial consortia, researchers have demonstrated potential therapeutic effects against gastrointestinal disorders (Figure 1) (van Leeuwen et al., 2023). Environmental applications of SynComs include bioremediation, where microbial consortia are engineered to degrade pollutants. SynComs designed for this purpose can effectively break down environmental contaminants, such as hydrocarbons from oil spills, thereby aiding in environmental cleanup efforts (de Souza et al., 2020). Figure 1 Overview on the strategies for designing, assembling, and testing SynComs (Adpot from van Leeuwen et al., 2023) Image caption: an overview of two strategies for designing, assembling, and testing synthetic microbial communities (SynComs): (A) The top-down approach starts with inoculum and microbiome composition analysis, followed by selection and iterative cycles of testing and isolation in animal models, with further iterations guided by sequencing, ultimately yielding an adapted SynCom. (B) The bottom-up approach utilizes existing metagenomic, abundance, and growth parameter information to design SynComs with specific functions. The designed SynComs undergo iterative cycles of in vitro cultivation and sequencing, followed by in vivo testing to assess functional performance, with feedback for further iteration based on the results (Adapt from van Leeuwen et al., 2023). 3 Mechanistic Insights into Microbial Interactions 3.1 Molecular mechanisms of interaction Microbial interactions are mediated by a range of molecular mechanisms, including signaling molecules and metabolic exchange. These interactions are critical for microbial survival, community structure, and functionality in various environments. Signaling molecules such as quorum sensing (QS) signals play a pivotal role in microbial communication. Quorum sensing enables bacteria to coordinate their behavior based on population density through the production and detection of small signaling molecules. For instance, acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules in Gram-negative bacteria regulate gene expression related to virulence, biofilm formation, and antibiotic production (Figure 2) (Kumar et al., 2022). Metabolic exchanges involve the transfer of nutrients and metabolic byproducts between microbial cells. This can include the sharing of essential nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, and other metabolites. For example, in
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