Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
5-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Microbiology
Major Professor
Elizabeth M. Fozo
Committee Members
Sarah L. Lebeis, Heidi Goodrich-Blair, Gladys M. Alexandre, Erik R. Zinser
Abstract
Plant microbiomes are assembled and modified through a complex milieu of biotic and abiotic factors. Despite dynamic and fluctuating contributing variables, specific host and microbial mechanisms are likely important mediators of interactions. We combine information from large-scale datasets across diverse plant hosts with experimental genetic manipulation assays in model Arabidopsis seedlings to converge on a conserved role for metabolite production and transport in mediating host-microbe interactions. Applying a diverse set of analytical tools to microbial communities at various complexity levels will advance our knowledge of the scalability of observed phenotypes and, ultimately, help to decipher the mechanisms dictating plant–microbe interactions across scales.
Recommended Citation
O'Banion, Bridget, "Unraveling Plant-Microbe-Microbe Interactions: Host and Microbial Colonization Determinants Across Experimental Scales. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2023.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/8114