About This Project

Plants have a complex symbiotic relationship with a diverse microbiome that influences their health, habitat adaptation, and ecosystem function. While plants possess inherent adaptive traits, their microbial associations also can play crucial roles. Understanding plant-associated microbiome composition and function is essential to uncover their strategies and impact. This project will investigate plant microbiota in stressful environments to study their role in adaptation.

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What is the context of this research?

Plants are the central component of an association with diverse microorganisms, collectively called the microbiome. The establishment and structure of these microbial communities on plants are not random but rather controlled by specific assembly rules and several factors. The presence of a subset of microbial lineages designated as the core microbiome is strongly associated with a certain host plant species, independently of soil and environmental conditions. Thus, the core microbiome involves fundamental microbial taxa that are important for plant fitness and also play an essential role in organizing the assembly of plant-associated microbiomes within and around host plants containing essential functions and genes for the fitness of the plant holobiont.

What is the significance of this project?

With a growing concern about environmental deterioration, the search for solutions to preserve the environment and find sustainable solutions that can be used in agriculture is increasing. Understanding the plant life system, such as its associated microbiome and its functionality is the first step to obtaining knowledge in this regard.

Ireland is characterized by a rainy and windy climate. However, it has an abundant plant diversity, with several species demonstrating remarkable adaptations to challenging environments such as lakeshores and coastal cliffs.

The question that arises is whether, in addition to the inherent characteristics of the plant genome, the plant microbiome could also provide auxiliary functions in habitat adaptation.

What are the goals of the project?

This project will be divided into three main goals. Firstly, the identification of culturable plant-associated microbiota in stressful environments. Using morphological and molecular techniques, will be possible to identify the microbial biodiversity and abundance in natural plant populations. Secondly, investigate the microbiota's role in habitat adaptation by inoculating host plants with selected microorganisms to determine their impact under stress conditions. Lastly, exploration of the transferability of the potential positive effects to non-host crops by inoculating them with the most promising microbes and subjecting them to stressful conditions.