Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in various ecological processes, including nutrient cycling, facilitation of plant growth, degradation of organic compounds, and soil formation. These communities exhibit high diversity in terms of their taxonomy and function, contributing to the overall resilience and functioning of ecosystems. However, the diversity of these communities is currently facing significant threats due to pollution and intensive agricultural activities. To address this issue, there is a suggested approach for restoring damaged soil microbial ecosystems, involving the introduction of specific bacterial strains that can remove pollutants or supplement the damaged key functions. However, soils that have been impoverished through aggressive and extensive practices, cannot be effectively restored by the application of a single bacterial strain alone. Instead, the restoration of such sites requires a combination of functional and taxonomic supplementation, achieved by integrating multiple strains specifically selected for their desired functions of interest. 

The process of community assembly, which involves the formation and establishment of naturally sourced microbiomes, has been described but remains poorly understood due to the heterogeneous nature of environmental factors and the overall species diversity. To address these challenges, our research project has been designed with the objective of investigating the assembly dynamics of naturally sourced microbiomes within artificial soil culturing systems. Through this investigation, we aim to enhance our understanding of this intricate process and further advance our knowledge regarding the dynamics of microbial communities in soil ecosystems. 

This study proposes the hypothesis that representative culturing systems can be valuable tools for studying community assembly and serve as reliable testbeds for further investigations of community coalescence. To achieve this objective, we employed a previously established sterile soil culturing system, specifically designed to replicate the porosity and nutrient profile of natural soil environments. Within this system, we cultured two distinct microbial communities sourced from natural habitats. By comparing the assembly and growth patterns of these distinct communities in a controlled environment, we intend to establish a foundation for future studies focused on the recolonization and restoration of impoverished soil sites, bioaugmentation techniques, and community coalescence.