Plants can help clean up soil contaminated with heavy metals, but they're not very efficient at it. Scientists have found that adding certain microorganisms to the soil near the plant's roots can make the process more effective. These microorganisms can help the plant take up more heavy metals and grow bigger. Studies show that using these microorganisms can improve the amount of heavy metals the plant absorbs, especially in plants that don't naturally accumulate heavy metals. This research suggests that using the right microorganisms can make phytoextraction more successful in cleaning up contaminated soils.