Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) facilitate chemical communication between plants. Zhang et al. demonstrate the transfer of jasmonic acid via CMN from Botrytis cinerea-infected donor plants to healt...

An exploration of previously undescribed variants from the long tail of the CRISPR–Cas distribution.

Forest decline is a complex phenomenon; however, there is often a tendency to oversimplify by attributing it to a single cause, neglecting the interaction of multiple factors. Ever since the detection...

The accelerating convergence of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity represents one of the defining challenges of this century. Agri-food systems are under increasing pressure to deliver safe, nutritious, and sufficient food while limiting environmental harm, prompting the search for new scientific approaches to guide innovation. Among these, microbiome research has emerged as both transformative and integrative. In their lead article in Frontiers in Science, “Harnessing agri-food system microbiomes for sustainability and human health,” Fernández-Gómez et al. (1) highlight the pivotal role of microbial networks across soils, aquatic environments, crops, livestock, food processing, and human health. Their review provides a timely anchor for this special editorial project, positioning microbiomes at the intersection of sustainability, resilience, and the One Health framework.

Plants have both fought and cooperated with microbes for as long as they have existed, so their ability to distinguish friends from foes is an important evolutionary adaptation (Delaux and Schornack, 2021). The soil microbiome includes both pathogens and mutualistic symbiotic partners like rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs). How do plants fine-tune their molecular responses to accommodate beneficial microbes while defending against invaders? Three recent publications have begun to unravel this complex puzzle (Zhang et al., 2024; Tan et al., 2025; Wang et al., 2025). Collectively, these studies present a molecular framework involving the lysin-motif-receptor-like kinases (LysM-RLKs) and cytoplasmic kinases that allow plants to precisely decode microbial messages (Figure 1).

Forest decline is a complex process rarely attributable to a single cause. Nevertheless, when widespread tree mortality occurs, management responses often focus on one primary agent. Our recent study ...

The clock is ticking for Russia’s leader – and that means Europe faces an imminent danger

Directional, non-vesicular lipid transport is responsible for fast, species-selective lipid sorting into organelle membranes.

There are many toxic behaviors in academia, but one we rarely talk about is #AcademicPoaching. Have you ever been a victim?

Plants integrate complex environmental signals through interconnected molecular networks, but the fundamental rules governing this sensory integration remain unknown. Studying tomato roots interacting...