Synthetic biology for ecological engineering of arid soil ecosystems.

Drylands cover 45% of Earth’s surface and host 38% of the global human population. These ecosystems are experiencing severe degradation due to global climate change. Synterra is focused on biological soil crusts (BSC), a complex ecosystem of microorganisms found in the top few centimetres of the soil. They are a crucial component of drylands contributing to species diversity, soil stability and carbon sequestration. Once critical aridity levels are crossed, abrupt changes in the ecosystem will occur, losing the soil functionality.

The project develops modelling tools and omics-based analysis to predict early warning signatures and quantitative indicators of ecosystem health. The specific climatic chambers allow us to develop a framework to design synthetic microbial inoculum strategies to boost the resilience and avoid desertification.

Collaborators

Ricard Solé, UPF

Fernando Maestre, University of Alicante, KAUST