Summary:
- Research published in *Science* reveals that plants actively select root-associated bacteria based on their functional metabolic capabilities rather than their taxonomic classification.
- The study demonstrates that plants recruit specific microbial communities to provide essential nutrients and support growth, effectively prioritizing "what microbes can do" over "who they are."
- This discovery shifts our understanding of plant-microbe interactions, suggesting that the functional role of the microbiome is the primary driver in the evolutionary relationship between plants and soil bacteria.