The Promises, Challenges, and Opportunities of Omics for Studying the Plant Holobiont

Microorganisms are critical drivers of biological processes that contribute significantly to plant sustainability and productivity. In recent years, emerging research on plant holobiont theory and microbial invasion ecology has radically transformed how we study plant-microbe interactions. Over the last few years, we have witnessed an accelerating pace of advancements and breadth of questions answered using omic technologies. Herein, we discuss how current state-of-the-art genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics techniques reliably transcend the task of studying plant-microbe interactions while acknowledging existing limitations impeding our understanding of plant holobionts.

Automated summary

Microorganisms play a crucial role in plant sustainability and productivity. Recent research on plant holobiont theory and microbial invasion ecology has revolutionized our understanding of plant-microbe interactions. Omic technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have greatly advanced our knowledge in this field, although there are still limitations to overcome.