The state of rhizospheric science in the era of multi-omics: A practical guide to omics technologies

Over the past century, the significance of the rhizosphere has been increasingly recognized by the scientific community. This complex biological system is comprised of vast interconnected networks of microbial organisms that interact directly with their plant hosts, including archaea, bacteria, fungi, picoeukaryotes, and viruses. The rhizosphere provides a nutritional base to the terrestrial biosphere, and is integral to plant growth, crop production, and ecosystem health. There is little mechanistic understanding of the rhizosphere, however, and that constitutes a critical knowledge gap. It inhibits our ability to predict and control the terrestrial ecosystem to achieve desirable outcomes, such as sustainable bioenergy production, crop yield maximization in diverse biogeographical envionments, and soil-based carbon sequestration. Multi-omics have the potential to significantly advance our knowledge of rhizospheric science. This review covers multi-omic techniques and technologies; methods and protocols for specific rhizospheric science questions; and the challenges to be addressed during this century of rhizospheric science.