Publications

Jul, 2024

Journal

Formation of a constructed microbial community in a nutrient-rich environment indicates bacterial interspecific competition

Understanding the organizational principles of microbial communities is essential for interpreting ecosystem stability. Previous studies have investigated the formation of bacterial communities under nutrient-poor conditions or obligate relationships to observe cooperative interactions among different species. How microorganisms form stabilized communities in nutrient-rich…

Jun, 2024

Journal

Complete genome of Pseudomonas putida strain WBB028 isolated from leaf litter

We report the complete genome of Pseudomonas putida strain WBB028, which exhibits broad-spectrum antifungal activity. This strain was isolated from leaf litter collected at Walker Branch Watershed located on the Oak Ridge Reservation in eastern Tennessee (35.9614 N 84.2864 W). The genome is 6.3 Mbp with a 62.5% GC content.

Apr, 2024

Journal

Temperature and CO2 interactively drive shifts in the compositional and functional structure of peatland protist communities

Microbes affect the global carbon cycle that influences climate change and are in turn influenced by environmental change. Here, we use data from a long-term whole-ecosystem warming experiment at a boreal peatland to answer how temperature and CO2 jointly influence communities of abundant, diverse, yet poorly understood, non-fungi microbial Eukaryotes (protists). These mic…

Dec, 2023

Journal

Arabidopsis C‐terminal Binding Protein ANGUSTIFOLIA modulates transcriptional co‐regulation of MYB46 and WRKY33

The apparent antagonism between Salicylic Acid (SA) and Jasmonic acid (JA)/Ethylene (ET) signaling resulting in tradeoffs between defense against (hemi)biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens has been widely described across multiple plant species. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be fully established. The molecular and cellular function of ANGUSTIFOLIA (AN) were…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Elucidating Duramycin’s Bacterial Selectivity and Mode of Action on the Bacterial Cell Envelope

The use of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides provides a promising route to selectively target pathogenic agents and to shape microbiome structure. Lantibiotics, such as duramycin, are one class of bacterially produced peptidic natural products that can selectively inhibit the growth of other bacteria. However, despite longstanding characterization efforts, the mic…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Root and Rhizosphere Bacterial Phosphatase Activity Varies with Tree Species and Soil Phosphorus Availability in Puerto Rico Tropical Forest

Climatic conditions in tropical forests combined with the immobility of phosphorus due to sorption on mineral surfaces or result in soils typically lacking in the form of phosphorus (orthophosphate) most easily metabolized by plants and microbes. In these soils, mineralization of organic phosphorus can be the major source for labile inorganic P available for uptake. Both p…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Experimental warming alters the community composition, diversity, and N2 fixation activity of peat moss (Sphagnum fallax) microbiomes

Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands comprise a globally important pool of soil carbon (C) and are vulnerable to climate change. While peat mosses of the genus Sphagnum are known to harbor diverse microbial communities that mediate C and nitrogen (N) cycling in peatlands, the effects of climate change on Sphagnum microbiome composition and functioning are largely unknown. We inves…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Quantifying the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Plant Root Colonization by Beneficial Bacteria in a Microfluidic Habitat

Plant–microbe interactions underpin processes related to soil ecology, plant function, and global carbon cycling. However, quantifying the spatial dynamics of these interactions has proven challenging in natural systems. Currently, microfluidic platforms are at the forefront of innovation for culturing, imaging, and manipulating plants in controlled environments. Using a m…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Isolation, Characterization, and Pathogenicity of Two Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars from Populus trichocarpa Seeds

Pseudomonas syringae is a ubiquitous plant pathogen, infecting both woody and herbaceous plants and resulting in devastating agricultural crop losses. Characterized by a remarkable specificity for plant hosts, P. syringae pathovars utilize a number of virulence factors including the type III secretion system and effector proteins to elicit disease in a particular host spec…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Chryseobacterium populi sp. nov., isolated from Populus deltoides endosphere

As part of a study investigating the rhizosphere and endosphere of the Eastern cottonwood tree, Populus deltoides, a number of isolates were subjected to genome sequencing. The genome-derived 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain CF314T was 97.0 % similar to those of the Chryseobacterium daecheongense and Chryseobacterium polytrichastri type strains, but was essentially equidis…

Nov, 2023

Journal

Exploration of the Biosynthetic Potential of the Populus Microbiome

Natural products (NPs) isolated from bacteria have dramatically advanced human society, especially in medicine and agriculture. The rapidity and ease of genome sequencing have enabled bioinformatics-guided NP discovery and characterization. As a result, NP potential and diversity within a complex community, such as the microbiome of a plant, are rapidly expanding areas of…

Nov, 2023

ORNL Report

PMI Performance Metric for FY18: Using genomics-based techniques, develop an approach to explore the functioning of plant-microbe interactions.