Plant Holobiont research studies the interactions between plants and the micro-organisms that inhabit them. This includes bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which are collectively referred to as the plant microbiome. We investigate how micro-organisms affect plant growth, development, and health, as well as how plants interact with and shape their microbiomes over time. Our research uses modern technologies to translate molecular mechanism that shape plant-microbe interactions into creative applications for agriculture, climate change, and conservation.
Our lab explores two aspects of the plant holobiont response to environmental change
- Changes in the Microbiome which have fundamental effects on plant plasticity and adaptation as holobiont,
- Changes in Plant Holobiont Interactions across environmental gradients to determine how environmental changes modulates niche width.
Plant Microbiome
Our research provides insights into the mechanisms underlying ecological assembly processes ,and the potential for utilising these micro-organisms in agriculture and other applications.
Plant Stress Response
Our research on stress response identifies and studies plant systemic signalling molecules that affect plants and their associated microbiome as a unit to identify new, sustainable ways to protect crops and natural ecosystems
Plant Holobiont Genomics
We investigate fundamental mechanisms of holobiont interactions by quantifying and interpreting the complexities of host-microbe interaction and examining how they guide adaptation to novel environments and changes to the environment.
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