Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The objective of my research program is to understand beneficial interactions between plants and microorganisms. Plant-microbe interactions are close associations or symbioses that typically benefit both the plant and the microbial partner (e.g., the plant is protected from stress - the microbe acquires nutrients in a protected habitat). Unique and specific populations of soil microorganisms influence the health, growth and competitiveness of plants in native and managed ecosystems. These specific plant-microbe associations can be utilized to benefit society in a number of ways. There is, for example, a great opportunity of using rhizobacteria, and specifically endophytic root bacteria, to enhance production of plant biomass on marginal soils (which could be used for biofuels production) or as plant-bacterial systems for remediation of environmental contaminants. This present study is focused on several key questions: First, what is the diversity of plant endophytic root bacteria associations? Second, what factors influence and regulate specific endophytic root bacteria and plant associations? Third, how do endophytic root bacteria interact with other root symbionts such as mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate fungi, and how can these interactions be exploited to influence plant health and growth? Fourth, can plants and their specific endophytic root bacteria be utilized as biotechnology tools to effectively remediate contaminated soils or can endophytic root bacteria be developed into effective biofertilizers? Collectively these studies will advance our understanding of how specific associations between plants, endophytic root bacteria and beneficial root fungi positively affect plant growth leading to healthy and sustainable soil ecosystems. Using bacterial endophytes as biofertilizers could increase crop production and reduce input costs, whereas using these endophytes to promote production of biomass and bioenergy crops in conjunction with phytoremediation of contaminated soils would cleanup the environment and produce energy.