Synergy between microalgae and microbiome in polluted waters

Microalga-microbiome interactions are central to both health and disease of aquatic environments. Despite impressive advances in deciphering how microor-ganisms participate in and impact aquatic ecosystems, the evolution and ecolog-ical involvement of microalgae and the microbiome in polluted waters are typically studied independently. Here, the phycosphere (i.e., the consortia of microalgae and the related microbiome) is regarded as an independent and integrated life form, and we summarize the survival strategies exhibited by this symbiont when exposed to anthropogenic pollution. We highlight the cellular strategies and dis-cuss the modulation at the transcriptional and population levels, which recipro-cally alters community structure or genome composition for medium-term acclimation or long-term adaptation. We propose a 'PollutantBiome' concept to help the understanding of microalga-microbiome interactions and development of beneficial microbial synthetic communities for pollutant remediation.

Automated summary

This article summarizes the evolution and ecological impact of microalga and microbiome in polluted water, focusing on the survival strategies exhibited by the symbiont. The authors propose the concept of "PollutantBiome" to understand the microalga-microbiome interactions and develop beneficial microbial synthetic communities for pollutant remediation.