First-of-its-kind integrated dataset enables genes-to-ecosystems research

A team of Department of Energy scientists led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory has released the first-ever dataset bridging molecular information about the poplar tree microbiome to ecosystem-level processes. The project aims to inform research regarding how natural systems function, their vulnerability to a changing climate, and, ultimately, how plants might be engineered for better performance as sources of bioenergy and natural carbon storage.