Investigating microbial genes involved in plant colonization and the effects on plant microbiome assembly

The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has had negative impacts on ecological systems and alternatives will be needed to both enhance agricultural production and remediate waste that has accumulated via fertilizer use. A promising alternative to tackle both problems utilizes beneficial organisms in microbial communities associated with plants, which are known as bioinoculants. However, the benefits of bioinoculants are inconsistent in field application and require more research in order to harness them in ways to make them a suitable replacement for chemical fertilizers. Here, I investigate characteristics required to enhance bioinoculant efficiency, including mechanisms required to increase microbial colonization of plants. Specifically using soil-dwelling Streptomyces species with Arabidopsis hosts. Also, I investigate means of enhancing bioremediation ability of an aquatic plant, Duckweed, by adding specific duckweed associated bacteria. The goal is to harness microbial potential to a point of suitable replacement for harmful chemical compounds currently used in agriculture and to enhance remediation potential of an aquatic plant organism using microbial inoculum. Thereby, benefiting human population sustainability with clean and effective means for agricultural yield.