CBE Centennial Seminar Series: Jonathan Conway (Princeton)

Abstract

Engineering Plant-Microbe Interactions Towards Advanced Agriculture Biotechnologies
Few plant-microbe interactions involving commensal microbiota are mechanistically understood, and filling this knowledge gap is necessary to manipulate and engineer these interactions for the development of new technologies. Through genetic engineering of non-model bacteria from the plant root microbiome, we can probe these interactions, define them mechanistically, and manipulate these bacteria, plants, and their interactions for application. Here, I will present past and ongoing work to probe and mechanistically define plant-microbe interactions involving 1) microbial evasion and suppression of the plant immune system and 2) chemical communication in the root microbiome involving auxin plant hormones. Through loss-of-function genetic engineering and screening of plant-associated bacteria, we have identified bacterial genes that play essential roles in suppression of the flg22-mediated plant immune response and auxin hormone homeostasis. Detailed biochemical characterization of these proteins and pathways is providing new insight into the functions of commensal microbiota in the rhizosphere. This fundamental understanding will enable us to engineer microbes as agriculture biotechnologies to improve plant growth, health, and resilience.