Stress induced long-distance communication between plant and microbes

Muhammad Rizaludin, MSc

PhD student at The Netherlands Institute of Ecology, in the Department of Microbial Ecology (NIOO-KNAW).

Supervision: Prof. Jos Raaijmakers (promotor), Dr. Paolina Garbeva (co-promotor)

Overall aim: The overall aim of this project is to elucidate mechanism underlying biotic-stress induced plant-microbe communication belowground via root-emitted VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Key Objectives & Expected Results

Key objectives:

To identify VOCs actively emitted by root plants upon biotic stress.

To study specificity of VOCs from plant roots under different biotic stress factors.

To identify the impact of these stress-induced VOCs on root microbiome composition.

To define the VOCs associated with bacterial recruitment or activation in stressed plants.

To identify the microbial genes and metabolites activated in response to root-emitted VOCs.

To explore the ability of recruited bacteria to enhance plant stress resilience.

Expected results:

A comprehensive understanding of the chemistry, specificity and mechanisms underlying VOCs-mediated “cry for help” responses belowground.

Isolation and identification of rhizosphere microorganisms responsible to help alleviating biotic stresses in crop plants.

Identification of the mechanisms underlying bacterial mediated alleviation of biotic stress in crop plants.