Studies on Earthworm Gut Microbiome

Earthworms are tillers of the soil and contribute to the fertility of the soil. The earthworm ingests microbes, soil litter, and soil pollutants from the soil and plays a role in nutrient recycling. The gut microbiome of the earthworm has a highly diverse microbial population that contributes to metabolism, provides nutrients to the host, contributes to detoxification of soil pollutants, and also generates greenhouse gases. In this chapter, we highlight the role of microbes in the earthworm gut, noting their diversity, diverse role in metabolism, detoxification of pollutants, contribution to generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and detoxification of soil pollutants.