TP Z 02

Capturing the Diversity of Stress-Related Microbiota from Plant Endophytic Niches

01/09/2024 to 31/08/2028

The project "Capturing the Diversity of Stress-Related Microbiota from Plant Endophytic Niches" is a central component of the PlantsCoChallenge consortium (central project Z2), which investigates plant adaptation to combined abiotic and biotic stresses. Z2 focuses on analyzing the microbiomes associated with five key plant species: Zostera marina (seagrass), Stuckenia pectinata (pondweed), Chenopodium quinoa (quinoa), Hordeum vulgare (barley), and Cakile maritima (sea rocket), to understand their role in enhancing plant resilience under stress conditions. The project aims to collect, identify, and maintain microbial cultures from these plants to study how microbiota influence plant stress responses. By integrating microbiome data with metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses, Z2 develops predictive models of plant-microbe interactions. This project provides essential resources and standardized methodologies for other sub-projects within the consortium, facilitating cross-species comparisons and comprehensive insights into stress biology. Z2 also focuses on generating a database of microbial culture collections, which is critical for exploring microbe-plant interactions and the ecological relevance of microbiomes in stress tolerance. Ultimately, the project seeks to uncover mechanisms by which plant-associated microbiota can be leveraged to improve plant adaptation and resistance to environmental stresses.