Rhizospheric Microbiome Functional Traits in Metal-Enriched Soils: From Bioavailability to Remediation and Critical Resource Recovery

Root-associated microbial communities — or rhizospheric microbiomes — are integral architects of terrestrial ecosystem function, orchestrating soil biogeochemical cycles, sustaining plant productivity, and maintaining long-term ecosystem stability. These microbiomes drive critical nutrient processes including nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and organic carbon turnover, underpinning soil fertility across diverse environmental contexts. Of particular relevance are the functional traits that govern microbial behaviour in metal-enriched, contaminated, and otherwise stressed soils, where rhizosphere microbiomes mediate plant tolerance to heavy metal toxicity, drought, and nutrient deficiency through a range of ecological and molecular mechanisms.Recent studies demonstrate that root microbiomes play a central role in governing the speciation, mobility, and phytoavailability of metals and metalloids in soils. Microbial functional traits — including biosynthesis of low-molecular-weight organic acids, siderophores, and redox-active metabolites — directly shape elemental transformation and uptake dynamics at the plant–soil interface. These processes are particularly relevant in metal-enriched and extreme environments, where plant–microbe interactions support ecological adaptation and survival. In this context, rhizospheric microbiomes are increasingly recognized for their contributions to phytoremediation and phytomining, including the recovery of critical elements such as nickel, selenium, and rare earth elements (REEs).Simultaneously, global pressures — including soil degradation, contamination, and climate change — have intensified demand for ecology-grounded solutions. This Research Topic focuses specifically on how root-associated microbiomes can be understood and harnessed to address these pressures: supporting ecosystem restoration, driving contaminant removal, and enabling the recovery of critical resources through natural biogeochemical processes. Yet, despite transformative advances in high-throughput sequencing, multi-omics integration, and synthetic community design, the mechanistic basis of these functional interactions — and their translation into predictable environmental outcomes — remains incompletely resolved.Closing this gap requires integrating ecological, molecular, and functional approaches to decode plant–microbe–soil interactions and leverage this understanding for sustainable environmental management. This Research Topic highlights advances in rhizospheric microbiome research, with a focus on metal bioavailability, environmental remediation, and critical resource recovery. We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, commentaries, opinions, and perspectives addressing — but not limited to — the following themes:- Microbial functional trait architecture in metal-enriched and contaminated soils- Microbial regulation of metal bioavailability, phytomining, and REE recovery- Rhizosphere-mediated bioremediation of metal-contaminated and polluted environments- Plant–microbe interactions underpinning tolerance to heavy metals and environmental stressors- Multi-omics and systems biology approaches to resolving functional traits in stressed rhizospheres- Translating rhizosphere microbiome function into scalable remediation and restoration strategies Topic editors: Suprokash Koner, Jagat Rathod, Muhammad Afzal Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81371/rhizospheric-microbiome-functional-traits-in-metal-enriched-soils-from-bioavailability-to-remediation-and-critical-resource-recovery