Nowadays, biological research science spins around health: Cancer. Neuroscience. Immunology. Pharmacology. And many more health-related areas which are being deeply studied. It seems that everyone is keen to spend their lives looking for the cure of cancer or Alzheimer. What a drag! For this reason (and also to show that research in less popular and less founded sectors can also improve significantly human lives), I have decided to write about something completely different: plant microbiome!

Indeed, I am going to write about bacteria. And no, they are not related to health at all. These bacteria live the soil and infect plants. However, they are not “bad”. Actually, they favour the plant’s growth and development. This is possible thanks to a fascinating process which finishes (ALERT SPOILER!!) with the bacteria transforming the atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia that can be used by the plant (nitrogen fixation).

The process starts with some kind of small talk between Rhizobium (the bacteria) and the legume (the plant): Legumes secrete compounds through their roots that the bacteria living close by can detect. In response to this stimulus, bacteria approach the root hairs of the plant and attach and secrete lipo-chitooligosaccharides known as Nod factors.

It continues with some action: The plants sense the Nod factors, which induce the root hairs curling and trapping the bacteria. The bacteria continue to grow and eventually form an infection thread whose growth allows the bacteria to reach other plant cells.

And it finishes with a happily ever after ending: A structure called a nodule is formed. The bacteria in the nodule form an organelle called the symbiosome, within which the bacteria differentiate to a state called bacteroid. In this stage, the bacteroid fixes nitrogen for the plant.

I know… Everything has happened too fast (the process can take 1 – 2 weeks). And I have not been bothered to explain it in detail so you can enjoy reading this amazing review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23493145

But wait! I almost forget to say why is worth studying this… The point is that plants need nitrogen to grow and they cannot use atmospheric nitrogen. Therefore, the more nitrogen they receive from the bacteria, the more they will grow. Consequently, we may increase the quantity of food available by improving this process.