The Plant Microbiome Mapping Project

What links humans to lettuce? How many creatures can coexist on a single leaf? And how can you help uncover species still unknown to science? Find out in a fascinating, groundbreaking and collaborative research project!

The Plant Microbiome Mapping Project is an ongoing collaboration between the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Davidson Institute of Science Education, the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, together with you: students and teaching staff from biology, biotechnology, agriculture, and environmental science programs. This initiative offers you the opportunity to engage directly in scientific research, both in the laboratory and in the field, while working side by side with scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Or

12th Grade Student

"It was fun to take the samples in the field and then analyze them in the lab [...] it felt great to be part of something important."

Dorit

12th Grade Biology Teacher

"The program’s combination of ecological and molecular science was a winning formula. It showed our students the importance of diversity in science, and that science is done both in the field and in the lab."

Nirit

11th Grade Biology Teacher

"The project opened a window for us - the teachers - into the rich world of science with all its dimensions and layers, in a way we had never experienced before in biology teaching."

Shir

10th Grade Student

"I learned a lot about desert plants, like how they have very deep roots to reach water. When we were sampling, I really enjoyed digging in the soil and looking for roots. If we find out that the bacteria are the reason the roots grow so long, that would be so cool."

Tamar

11th Grade Student

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to have had this experience, which can only be described as more than amazing. [...] I wish science and physics were taught through activities like this."

About The Project

Contrary to what it might seem, the plants around us do not exist in isolation. A vast world of microorganisms, living on the plants and in their surrounding environment, influences their growth and their ability to survive under different conditions. The community of microorganisms associated with a plant, along with their collective genetic material, is referred to as the “plant microbiome."

Our project aims to map the microbiome of the flora of Israel, with the goal of better understanding how these microorganisms affect plant growth and survival. The results of the research could support future advancements that benefit humanity in the fields of agriculture and medicine

Learn more

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Preparation and Background

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Training for Sampling

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Field Sampling

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Sending the Samples

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Decoding the Samples

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The Plant Microbiome Database

What Have We Discovered?

Our database presents the research results obtained so far, based on samples collected by teenagers from across the country. This dynamic, continuously updated scientific database reflects ongoing research conducted in the laboratory of Prof. Ziv Reich at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Dr. Dagan Sadeh. The database includes information on microorganisms identified using innovative and precise genetic methods, both on plants and in their surrounding environments, from the various samples collected across the country. Alongside well-known microorganisms, it also includes microorganisms discovered for the first time through the project – groundbreaking findings that offer a glimpse into a previously unseen world.

Explore what we’ve discovered

What Have We Discovered?

The Plant Microbiome Mapping Project

Or

Dorit

Nirit

Shir

Tamar

About The Project

How Does It Work?

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What Have We Discovered?