Project No. 2312

PRIORITY PROJECT

Primary Supervisor

Dr Tomislav Cernava – University of Southampton

Co-Supervisor(s)

Dr Xiangming Xu – NIAB at East Malling

Dr Franklin Nobrega – University of Southampton

Summary

Crop production depends heavily on synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, but these practices are often ineffective and come with harmful side effects

In response, biological solutions, such as microbial inoculants, have gained popularity as a more suitable alternative. However, the rapid adaptation of pathogens makes long-term use of specific microbial strains for biocontrol unsustainable.

To address this challenge, a promising solution is to focus on altering the plant microbiome as a whole.  By shifting the microbiome to a disease-resistant state, we can reduce the likelihood of pathogens overcoming this multifaceted form of resistance. In practice, this approach can be implemented by selectively breeding or genetically engineering crops based on specific genes, known as Microbiome/M genes, that shape the entire microbiome.

This project builds on knowledge that certain M genes affect plant exudation patterns which in turn shape the microbial community. By studying these interactions, we can explore how different microbes – both beneficial and pathogenic – respond to specific exudates. This work will investigate the interplay between plants and their associated microbes using RNA sequencing and advanced bioinformatics tools. Genomes and Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs) will be leveraged to determine whether modifying the plant microbiome could provide a sustainable alternative to current biocontrol methods or whether this system has already been hijacked by plant pathogens like Pseudomonas syringae.