Deciphering microbial community robustness through synthetic ecology and molecular systems synecology

• Microbial community robustness enables functional maintenance under disturbances.
• Synthetic ecology has shed light on key biological features of community robustness.
• Molecular systems synecology deciphers community-level disturbance responses.
• Dynamic mathematical modeling is required to predict microbial community robustness.

Microbial ecosystems exhibit specific robustness attributes arising from the assembly and interaction networks of diverse, heterogeneous communities challenged by fluctuating environmental conditions. Synthetic ecology provides new insights into key biodiversity–stability relationships and robustness determinants of host-associated or environmental microbiomes. Driven by the advances of meta-omics technologies and bioinformatics, community-centered approaches (defined as molecular systems synecology) combined with the development of dynamic and mechanistic mathematical models make it possible to decipher and predict the outcomes of microbial ecosystems under disturbances. Beyond discriminating the normal operating range and natural, intrinsic dynamics of microbial processes from systems-level responses to environmental forcing, predictive modeling is poised to be integrated within prescriptive analytical frameworks and thus provide guidance in decision-making and proactive microbial resource management.

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