Biofuels represent a promising path toward a future less reliant on fossil fuels. One reason why is because the components to generate biofuels can be found in ordinary waste, such as compost, where degradative microbes unleash the energy-dense sugars found in plant matter. While scouting for the hungriest degraders marks one way of boosting biofuel production, understanding how microbes work together to devour plant matter could make the greatest impact. In a recent study, researchers examined three microbial communities derived from the same green-waste compost. Despite their shared origins, in two weeks, each had evolved a unique sorghum-degrading system. For example, while all three communities were rich in bacteria of the genus Actinotalea, Community 2 possessed more Actinotalea- related degradative enzymes. Yet Communities 1 and 3 showed higher performance in terms of biomass reduction and enzymatic activity. What’s more, each community could be reproduced when fed on a less hardy form of sorghum. The findings highlight the importance of microbiomes in plant degradation, the different trajectories they can take on, and their ability to be engineered to aid the production of green energy.