Global changes substantially pressure terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems, presenting significant threats to agricultural and forestry systems. Climate Change stands out among these changes as a major concern, closely linked with biodiversity loss and ecosystem service degradation. Despite being a key life support system of the biosphere, microbes are often overlooked in the context of Climate Change, and our understanding of their responses to these changes remains limited. The impact of Climate Change on the assembly and functions of microbiomes, as well as their interactions with plants and soil and their effects on plant performance and productivity, are still poorly understood.
MICROBES-4-CLIMATE is a five-year Horizon Europe project, with a consortium of 31 committed partners from 13 countries, which aims to fill these knowledge gaps by granting researchers across various fields efficient access to a diverse array of world-class Research Infrastructures across Europe and beyond. These infrastructures offer integrated, advanced services, training, and scientific/technical support. At the heart of the M4C project lies an excellence-driven Transnational Access (TNA) Programme, empowering users to engage in curiosity-driven research to explore the complex interactions among microbiomes, plants, soil, and the environment in the context of Climate Change. The ultimate goal of the TNA programme is to encourage collaboration, drive innovation, and expedite scientific progress by facilitating researchers’ access to and utilization of state-of-the-art resources.
LifeWatch ERIC plays an important role in the MICROBES-4-CLIMATE project by facilitating access to advanced infrastructures and services, fostering interdisciplinary, curiosity-driven research crucial for attaining the project’s objectives.