Microbial Bioprospecting in Extreme and Understudied Terrestrial Ecosystems: Genomic Insights into Functional Diversity

Microbial ecologists are increasingly using whole-genome sequencing, metagenomics, and genome-resolved metagenomics to investigate the functional diversity of microorganisms associated with diverse and poorly explored terrestrial ecosystems. Extreme and understudied habitats, such as arid lands, alpine zones, permafrost, biological soil crusts, and unique regional biomes remain substantially underrepresented in microbial genomic databases despite being exposed to strong environmental pressures. These include low temperature, ultraviolet radiation, drought, salinity, and nutrient limitation. The resident microbial communities have evolved under persistent environmental constraints, driving the emergence of unique physiological and metabolic adaptations. These microorganisms represent an invaluable, yet largely untapped, reservoir of novel functional traits, including plant growth promotion, biocontrol activity, stress tolerance, biocatalysis, and the biosynthesis of structurally diverse natural products with agricultural, industrial, and biomedical significance. Despite growing interest, fundamental questions remain regarding the taxonomic diversity they support, the functional gene repertoires encoded within their genomes, and the evolutionary mechanisms that underpin adaptation to harsh terrestrial conditions. Recent advances in metagenomics have greatly expanded our ability to recover previously uncultivated microorganisms, reconstruct metabolic networks, and identify novel genetic determinants of ecological function and biotechnological value. However, many existing studies continue to emphasize descriptive microbial diversity surveys or culture-dependent characterization without integrating genome-scale evidence to elucidate functional potential and adaptive evolution.This Research Topic aims to advance the genomic and metagenomic discovery of functionally novel microorganisms from extreme and understudied terrestrial ecosystems. It encourages studies that identify plant-growth-promoting and biocontrol-relevant genes, characterize the genomic mechanisms underlying tolerance to environmental stress, and investigate novel taxa and biosynthetic potential specifically within the context of terrestrial microbial ecology. Contributions should address how microbial genomes and metagenomes can reveal functions that are not readily detected through conventional cultivation or trait-based screening. The Research Topic will prioritize sequence-level evidence, including high-quality microbial genomes, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), comparative genomic analyses, functional annotation, and transcriptomic or other complementary multi-omic approaches that strengthen genomic interpretation. Culture-based studies without genomic or metagenomic analysis will fall outside the scope. To gather further insights into the genomic functional diversity of microorganisms inhabiting these environments, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Recovery and characterization of microbial genomes or metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from underrepresented terrestrial ecosystems.- Identification of plant-growth-promoting genes and pathways, including those associated with nutrient acquisition, phosphate solubilization, nitrogen metabolism, siderophore production, and phytohormone modulation in stressed soils.- Discovery and genomic characterization of biocontrol-relevant functions, including antimicrobial compounds, lytic enzymes, pathogen-interaction systems, and other antagonistic mechanisms.- Comparative and functional genomics of microbial responses to cold, ultraviolet radiation, drought, salinity, oxidative stress, and nutrient limitation in terrestrial habitats.- Taxonomic, phylogenomic, and pangenomic analyses of previously uncharacterized microorganisms, together with biosynthetic gene-cluster (BGC) mining for agricultural or industrial importance. Topic editors: Atif Khurshid Wani, Mudasir A. Dar, Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84386/microbial-bioprospecting-in-extreme-and-understudied-terrestrial-ecosystems-genomic-insights-into-functional-diversity