A scientific article on bacteria from Campos Rupestres [rupestrian/mountaintop grasslands] that can make phosphorus available to plants, which was published under the umbrella of the Genomics for Climate Change Research Center (GCCRC), a partnership between Embrapa and Campinas State University (Unicamp), was one of three winners of the ISME Journal 2023 Best Paper Award.. The award recognizes the most impactful articles published in the ISME Journal in the last year, celebrating significant contributions for the field of microbial biology. The paper “Plant microbiomes harbor potential to promote nutrient turnover in impoverished substrates of a Brazilian biodiversity hotspot” is the result of Antonio P. Camargo’s doctoral thesis and had the contribution of Embrapa Digital Agriculture researchers Isabel R. Gerhardt and Ricardo A. Dante, as well as Rafael S. C. de Souza, Juliana Jose, Supratim Mukherjee, Marcel Huntemann, Nikos C. Kyrpides, Marcelo F. Carazzolle and Paulo Arruda. >> Read more: Mountaintop grasslands harbor beneficial bacteria that can capture and make phosphorus available to plants The awarded study discovered bacteria that are highly efficient in phosphorus obtention and solubilization, making it available for plants. Such microorganisms were found in the Campos Rupestres, an ecosystem located in central Brazil (spanning the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia) that is known for harboring a significant diversity of plants despite being environments that are poor in phosphorus and have very acidic soils. The study showed that those bacteria have 25% more genes related to phosphorus solubilization than those found in other environments, which allows plants like Vellozia epidendroides and Barbacenia macrantha to survive in adverse conditions. The plants in turn secrete organic compounds through their roots that attract such bacteria, forming a symbiotic relationship that facilitates plant nutrition. The discovery paves the way for the development of new biofertilizers, which could reduce Brazil’s dependence on imported phosphate fertilizers, reduce the environmental and economic impacts associated with the use of chemical fertilizers, and contribute to a more sustainable agriculture. Impact inside and outside Academia The paper selection process included two stages. The first was based on metrics related to the repercussion of each paper inside and outside academia. The second stage evaluated the papers for their content, especially assessing high-impact papers that raised ISME Journal's profile and highlighted exceptional discoveries in the field of microbial ecology. Since it was posted online in December 2022, the paper reached 11,000 views, 20 citations and an 88 Altimetrics Score, which measures engagement and the dissemination of research in online journals, social networks, and blogs. The Altimetrics Score placed the awarded paper among the top 3% most cited out of 484,069 papers published in the same period across all journals, demonstrating its relevance and influence. In the ISME Journal, the paper currently is in second place out of 35 papers of a similar age. Such data indicates that the paper has been widely referenced and recognized inside and outside academia. About GCCRC The Genomics for Climate Change Research Center (GCCRC) is a joint Embrapa/Unicamp research center, whose main mission is the development of biotechnological assets based on applied genomics for crop adaptation to the stresses associated with climate change. GCCRC built and expanded the Mixed Unit for Research in Genomics Applied to Climate Change (UMiP GenClima), an initiative by Embrapa and Unicamp established in 2012. The center gathers scientists in a cutting-edge lab funded by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp) through the pEngineering Research Center (CPE, from the acronym in Portuguese) and the Microbiome Support Program, funded by the European Union's research and innovation program Horizon 2020.