description
- The rhizosheath is the point of contact between plants and soil and is defined as the soil that adheres firmly to the roots. In small grain cereals, such as barley and wheat, the rhizosheath plays an important role in mitigating stress conditions, in particular towards nutritional drought. Rhizosheath therefore represents an attractive target to enhance the sustainability of crop production. Root hairs appear to be the major drivers of rhizosheath formation, although other plant traits contribute to this process. Preliminary data generated in my lab indicate that the structure of the root-associated microbial communities, the root microbiota, correlates with root hairs development, suggesting that the root microbiota might interfere with rhizosheath formation and functioning. In this project, we will take advantage of experimental and bioinformatics approaches to develop plant genotype-tailored synthetic root microbiota enhancing rhizosheath formation and functioning under soil conditions. We are looking for an ambitious and highly motivated candidate with a background in plant biology or molecular microbiology with a strong interest in computational biology.