Philip Poole. Plant Control of the Rhizosphere Microbiome

We are developing a suite of lux biosensors to the presence of specific metabolites that are being used for spatial and temporal mapping of root secretion. In addition they are excellent biosensors to enable identification of plant mutants altered in metabolite secretion. Plants are also excellent models to develop systems of experimental selection to examine how specific microbes are selected. Fingerprinting techniques such as ARISA and high through put sequencing are being used to map community level changes in the rhizosphere microbial community (microbiome). Coming full circle these techniques allow us to examine how natural variation and mutation of key regulatory systems in plants control the rhizosphere microbiome.