Here, we describe a novel "bait-trap" assay, which facilitates capture of soil microorganisms that exhibit chemotaxis to chemical attractants, such as root exudates. These multi-population assemblages represent potential guilds and can be characterized using a wide-range of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. While in this example, we use root exudates as bait, any water-soluble compound(s) could be used. Hence, the potential applications for the assay are diverse.
Keywords: Chemical language; Chemotaxis; Plant-microbe interactions; Rhizosphere; Signaling.