A team from the Department of Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has released a significant dataset on the poplar tree microbiome linking molecular and ecosystem-level data.

The dataset provides information for research on ecosystems, climate change resilience, and enhancements for bioenergy and carbon storage.

It encompasses data on 27 unique variants of Populus trichocarpa, including genetic, soil chemistry, microbial analysis, and plant and microbe compounds.

Accessible through the National Microbiome Data Collaborative, it is the most extensive metagenomics repository available for a tree endosphere.

The research additionally aims to understand and potentially bioengineer the tree's role in soil nitrogen cycling and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

With detailed annotations and metadata, the dataset is designed to facilitate the use of artificial intelligence and other advanced analytical methods.