Life outside of the roots: using RNA-seq and proteomics to investigate the mechanisms underlying AMF growth in soil and their promotion of soil quality

• Applicant: Dr. Daniel Lammel
• Subject Area: Soil Sciences ; Plant Cultivation, Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Technology
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 446481806

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are plant symbionts that improve plant fitness (growth and health) as well as soil quality (improving nutrient cycling, carbon storage, pesticide degradation and soil aggregation and reducing erosion). Much current research focuses on aspects of the symbiosis of AMF with plants, and relatively less is known about how AMF grow in soil, forage for nutrients, and improve soil quality. Here we propose the use of RNA-seq and proteomics to investigate the mechanisms underlying AMF growth in soil and promotion soil quality (e.g. aggregation). We expect to generate data about the genes/proteins that AMF use in soil and that are relevant to agriculture, including pathways linked to nutrient uptake from soil and proteins that accumulate in soil and could be potentially correlated with soil aggregation. With this information we will create mechanistic models that can be later applied to improve the use of AMF in sustainable agriculture.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants