Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Chuyu Wang

Investigating the Impact of Microbial Diversity on Pathogen Protection

The composition and ecological interactions of plant-associated microbial communities can influence the host’s health and growth. Our lab built a Synthetic Community (SynCom) composed of 16 bacteria to simulate the natural microbial diversity found in tomato plants grown in a natural environment. By manipulating the composition of this SynCom, we expect to identify specific microbial community compositions (in terms of both membership and diversity) that confer the most robust protection against pathogens, thereby providing a direction for the development of eco-friendly biocontrol agents for practical agricultural production.

Message To Sponsor

Thank you for providing the funding that enabled me to continue my research over the summer! This experience gave me valuable full-time research experience and insight into the working patterns of a researcher. It strengthened my resolve to pursue a career in scientific research and apply for a PhD program in the future. Thank you again for this invaluable opportunity!