Rocelia Alvarez-Navarrete Rose Hills
Linking Phyllosphere Microbiome Evolution with Tomato Immune Responses
Microbes inhabiting a plant’s leaf surface, a community known as the phyllosphere, can significantly affect plant health, development, and immune responses to microbial pathogens. Our past work has shown that interactions among microbes within phyllosphere communities can affect the persistence of certain bacterial species in the phyllosphere. Using experimental evolution with a community of microbes that are known to protect against pathogen invasion, we have evolved Pseudomonas species that have enhanced/altered colonization on tomato seedlings. Now, we ask if our evolved strains could successfully establish on adult tomato plants already colonized by a complex, naturally occurring microbiome. To do so, we grew tomato plants in greenhouse conditions, first spraying them to establish a natural microbiome before inoculating plants with evolved or ancestral microbial strains. We aim to observe the phenotypic and genotypic effects these microbial strains have on our plants, and if these effects are changed by the additional dynamics of a microbiome. Additionally, we will analyze plant gene expression when challenged to better understand the mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you for your generous support in funding this summer research project. This opportunity will allow me to complete my greater independent project and gain a better understanding of how engineered microbial evolution can impact future agricultural research. I would also like to thank my mentors and my research group for supporting me throughout the duration of this project. I am truly grateful for all of your support.