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Earthworm-microbiome interactions: Unlocking next-generation bioindicators and bioengineered solutions for soil and environmental health
Summary
This review explores how earthworms and their associated microbiomes can serve as bioindicators of soil contamination from pollutants including microplastics. Changes in earthworm gut microbial communities can act as early warning signals of soil pollution, and engineered earthworm-microbiome systems show potential for environmental remediation. The study suggests that understanding these biological interactions could lead to new biomonitoring tools for assessing microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.
Earthworms, long regarded as indicators of soil fertility and ecosystem stability, are now emerging as hosts to highly diverse and functionally dynamic microbiomes. These symbiotic microbial communities spanning the gut, nephridia, and cuticle play critical roles in nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, pollutant detoxification, and microbial soil network formation. This review synthesizes current advances in earthworm-microbiome research with a focus on their biotechnological potential as next-generation bioindicators and engineered tools for environmental remediation. We explore how shifts in microbial composition and function can serve as early-warning signals of soil contamination from heavy metals, pesticides, and emerging pollutants such as microplastics. Additionally, we highlight the potential for microbiome manipulation via selective enrichment, synthetic biology, or CRISPR-based microbial engineering to enhance composting efficiency, pollutant degradation, and carbon sequestration. By integrating tools such as metagenomics, metabolomics, and AI-driven microbial profiling, this paper outlines a future where earthworm microbiome systems can be harnessed as living biosensors and adaptive agents in climate-smart soil management.