Plant-Microbe Interactions

Plants accommodate on and inside plant roots a specific and species-rich microbiota. These microbes collectively function as a microbiome and, similar to the microbial communities in human or animal guts, they impact nutrition and health of their host. Individual root microbiota members are known to support plant growth e.g., by improving nutrition acquisition or providing pathogen protection. However, we still have a rudimentary understanding how plants interact with their associated microbial communities.

In our research we focus on the functional contribution of the root microbiota to plant growth and disease protection. A particular interest is how plants communicate with the root microbiota and how they influence their activities. Finally, we asses if we can manipulate the root microbiota for smart and sustainable agriculture.

We mainly investigate plant-microbiome interactions using Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays as models. We combine field and lab experiments and make use of methods in microbiomics, molecular biology, microbiology, plant genetics and bioinformatics.

• Structure and function of root microbiomes
• Microbiota manipulation with synthetic communities in microcosms
• Communication by root exudates
• Microbiome diagnostics for improving applications of biologicals
• Multi-tropic effects of the root microbiome