# Microbial trait multifunctionality drives soil organic matter formation potential

*PRI Rank #12 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-community-ecology-and-physiology/2026/rank-12*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #12 |
| 18m citations | 92 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41467-024-53947-2 |
| Corresponding authors | Emily D. Whalen |
| Institution | University of New Hampshire, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-community-ecology-and-physiology/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41467-024-53947-2](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53947-2)

## Topics

soil organic matter formation · microbial traits · fungi incubation experiments · soil organic matter functional pools · Microbial carbon use efficiency · growth rate · turnover rate · biomass protein content · biomass phenol content · multifunctional species · soil organic matter stability · functional complexity · trait synergies · model soils · Microbial necromass · trait-based frameworks · physiological traits · morphological traits · biochemical traits

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-community-ecology-and-physiology/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```