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Achievement

Microbes' roles in plant invasion processes

Research Achievements

Microbes' roles in plant invasion processes

The research of Marnie Rout, 2011 IGERT graduate, was recently presented at the American Society of Microbiology 2012 General Meeting in San Francisco, CA. This work, “What makes a plant invasive? It might be a matter of microbes”, suggests that several invasive plant traits are under microbial regulation in one of the world’s most successful invaders, Johnsongrass. The findings show that growth rate/biomass, competitive effects on a native grass, and herbivore defense were all enhanced in the presence of bacteria that inhabit the below-ground plant tissues (bacterial endophytes). Importantly, this work highlights the relevance of the plant-soil microbiome and the role it plays in plant and soil health. The findings suggest that microbes play substantially larger roles in the plant invasion processes; this idea can potentially transform our understanding of invasion ecology. This work will also be featured in upcoming editions of Microbe Magazine and Science News.
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