We briefly review how microbial biotechnology can contribute to improve activities aiming to restore degraded drylands and to combat their desertification, which are an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda. Microbial biotechnology offers notable promise to improve restoration actions based on the use of biocrust-forming engineered cyanobacteria, which play key roles in maintaining ecosystem structure and functioning in drylands worldwide. Advances in our understanding of microbiome associated to biocrusts and of the signalling involved in the communication among their constituents can also potentially enhance the outcome of restoration activities in drylands.

FTM acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC GA 647038 [BIODESERT]) and from the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (Humboldt Research Award) during the writing of this manuscript. RS has been supported by an ERC Advanced Grant GA 294294 (SYNCOM), by the Botín Foundation by Banco Santander through its Santander Universities Global Division, a MINECO FIS2015-6761 fellowship and by the Santa Fe Institute. The work of BKS on this topic is funded by the Australian Research Council.