# Nutrient and moisture limitations reveal keystone metabolites linking rhizosphere metabolomes and microbiomes

*PRI Rank #17 · 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-17*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #17 |
| 18m citations | 80 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.2303439121 |
| Corresponding authors | Nameer Baker, Kateryna Zhalnina, Mary K. Firestone |
| Institution | University of California, Berkeley, 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:** [10.1073/pnas.2303439121](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303439121)

## Topics

rhizodeposition · switchgrass · marginal soil · nitrogen limitation · phosphorus limitation · moisture limitation · 16S rRNA gene sequencing · LC-MS/MS metabolomics · network analysis · aromatic acids · Acidobacteria · Verrucomicrobia · Planctomycetota · Alphaproteobacteria · Actinobacteria · serotonin · ectoine · chlorogenic acid · keystone metabolites · root architecture

## 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
```