Researchers require controlled experimental models incorporating both in vitro and in vivo approaches to identify and validate novel microbial effectors and their impact on microbiomes. Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), such as SIHUMIx, OligoMM, 14-SM, and other mock communities, represent gold-standard systems for studying microbial interactions and responses . These models provide controlled environments that simulate natural microbial ecosystems, allowing for precise examination of effector molecules and their roles in community dynamics, signaling, and host interactions. SynComs offer a robust foundation for investigating microbial functions within microbiomes by enabling direct observation of cause-and-effect relationships while minimizing confounding variables. SynComs also enhance metaproteomic research by using annotated genomes for each community member, which improves protein identification accuracy. This genomic information enables detailed insights into strain-level interactions, often unachievable in natural microbiomes due to similar protein sequences.