MICOL-FUNTRANS: Exploring Fungal Hyphae-Mediated Transport in soil colonization

Soil is Earth's most biodiverse habitat, harboring unparalleled microbial densities and diversities. These conditions have driven the evolution of diverse microbial interactions, ranging from synergistic to antagonistic. However, studying these interactions is challenging due to the opaque nature of soil and the microscopic scale at which they occur. Understanding these processes is critical for advancing knowledge of ecosystem functions and soil biology.

Fungal hyphae-mediated transport (FHMT) of bacteria is a pivotal yet underexplored mechanism that enables bacterial translocation across nutrient-depleted regions, facilitating microbial movement and interactions within soil. The MICOL-FUNTRANS project investigates the microbial ecology of FHMT as a driving force in soil colonization and structure formation.

To study FHMT-driven belowground soil colonization, specialized soil columns were developed for field use. These columns, designed to either allow fungal hyphae colonization or exclude it, were filled with uncolonized sediment from glacier margins and buried in topsoil along chronosequences in glacier forefields. Field sites include Greenland (Lyngmarksbræen, Disko Island), Iceland (Langjökull), and Austria (Klein Fleiß Kees). After one year, the columns will be harvested to analyze the colonizing microbial communities under field conditions.

In parallel, laboratory microcosms were designed to simulate FHMT processes under controlled conditions. Sterile quartz sand was colonized by source soils from glacier forefields, allowing us to quantify bacterial colonization rates and identify key microbial players involved in targeted translocation processes.

This project provides the first comprehensive insights into FHMT-driven bacterial colonization in field conditions, underscoring its ecological significance and advancing our understanding of soil microbial dynamics.