Soil microbial metabolomics

Abstract

Soil is one of the most complex matrices known. This is partly due to the multitude of microbes that live within soil, of which only a minority have been characterised. Metabolomics is beginning to be utilised to characterise the plant-soil biogeochemical interactions occurring in soil. This chapter reviews the myriad studies that have been used to elucidate the interactions between microbes and their environment. Compounds such as amino and organic acids are common moieties found in soil, but other interesting natural and synthetic (e.g. engineered nanoparticles) metabolites have also been characterised. Metabolomics has the potential to fill in the gaps of traditional analyses and other omic technologies, by identifying the key compounds used by microbes and plants.