Application of Game Theory to Explore the Dynamics of Host−Pathogen Association in Phytobiomes

Abstract

Recent advances in sequencing technology and big data analytics are moving plant pathology into a new era where we are now pursuing a deeper systems-level understanding of host–pathogen associations. For past several decades, scientists have predominantly tried to delineate and streamline these interactions into single pathogen–single host model systems, using reductionist experimental approaches. As many of us are aware, there have been several significant proposed ideas and models to help simplify and conceptualize the complex nature of associations that occur between plants and pathogens. However, equipped with vastly improved technology we now have opportunities to further explore multicomponent host–pathogen associations as well as microbe–microbe associations in phytobiomes and agroecosystems. Here, we would like to share our perspective on how game theory concepts could be adopted to study the dynamics of complex phytobiomes and to help us gain fresh and transformative insight.