Microbiome Extended Phenotypes Lab
Where Plants, Microbes, and People Connect
At the Favela Lab, we investigate how plants, soils, and their microbiomes assemble and regulate ecosystem processes, using these insights to develop strategies that enhance agroecosystem resilience and sustainable food production under global change.
Research
Our lab investigates how interactions between plants and their microbial communities shape ecosystem function and resilience in the Anthropocene.
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Invisible yet pervasive, microbes are the ghosts in the machine, transmitting information across soils, plants, and consumers, and animating the eco-evolutionary processes that sustain life on Earth.
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Microbial communities—bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses—harbor immense biodiversity and drive key ecosystem functions. Among them, soil microbiomes are the most diverse and dynamic, forming the foundation of terrestrial life.
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Plants have evolved sophisticated ways to sense, recruit, and cooperate with these microbes, yet the scope and consequences of these associations remain only partly understood. Overlooking these interactions in modern agriculture has left untapped potential for advancing sustainability.
Our work aims to reveal and restore these hidden microbial networks, translating that knowledge into next-generation agricultural practices that strengthen ecosystem resilience and redefine sustainability from the ground up.
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