Molecular Microbiology Research 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 39-48 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 43 the pairing of phototrophic and heterotrophic microbes can facilitate sustainable growth and efficient bioproduction. A study demonstrated that a synthetic community of Synechococcus elongatus andEscherichia coli K-12 could sustain heterotrophic growth in minimal media, highlighting the potential for biofuel production (Zuñiga et al., 2020). Additionally, genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have been applied to design synthetic microbial communities for bioremediation, providing novel strategies for environmental cleanup (Wang et al., 2023). These models enable high-throughput simulations to predict metabolic flux distributions and optimize microbial interactions for effective pollutant degradation. Figure 1 The classical "design-build-test-learn" (DBTL) pipeline (top) compared to the "growth selection-based" DBTL cycle proposed in this study (bottom) (Adopted from Orsi et al., 2021) Image caption: The "design" and "build" phases are supported by the same technologies in both cycles. Nevertheless, the novel pipeline changes in the "test" and "learn" phases, which become faster in their execution due to the lack of omics analyses (shorter red and purple arrows). In case of necessity, the new cycle can host adaptive laboratory evolution within its "test" phase (longer red arrow) (Adapted from Orsi et al., 2021) 4.2 Agricultural biotechnology In agricultural biotechnology, synthetic microbial communities are being explored to enhance soil health and promote plant growth. Microbial communities play a crucial role in plant-microbe interactions, contributing to crop productivity and resilience under adverse environmental conditions. The use of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) involves designing inoculants with beneficial traits for robust colonization and specific functions that support plant development. Recent advances in computational methods, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, have improved the screening and identification of beneficial microbes, leading to the development of SynComs that enhance crop resiliency (Souza et al., 2020). Furthermore, network analyses of
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