Exploring ancient plant-associated and soil microbiomes using herbarium specimens

The Holoherbaria research project focuses on the study of “ancient” plant microbiomes. Indeed, the roots of herbarium plants contain molecular traces of their “ancient” microbiomes, in the form of DNA and proteins. Therefore molecular study of plants collected “before”, and “during” the exponential “acceleration” of global changes should inform us on how and to what extent these changes have durably affected the plant microbiota, widely recognized as an essential component of plant health.