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Hamed Azarbad

Junior Group Leader, AG Junker
Philipps-University Marburg
Phone: +49 6421 28-23345
Mail:

Project: The effects of parental and contemporary flooding on the microbiome associated with leaves and flowers of Mimulus guttatus

Project summary:
Plants are highly plastic, and parental environmental conditions can influence how offspring respond to environmental perturbations. Beneficial microbes associated with different plant parts are considered as extended plant phenotypes which play critical roles in protecting plants against stresses. The importance of such microbes for plant adaptation to stress is likely to be greatest in rapidly changing environments. However, empirical evidence on the transgenerational effects of abiotic stresses on plant offspring and their microbiome are limited. Moreover, inbreeding often reduces plastic responses of plants to stress, but it is not known how the genetic constitution (selfed vs. outbred) influences the transmission of the microbiome to the next generation. Therefore, this project seeks to examine (1) if previous exposure of parental plants to flooding stress would influence important traits of new generations of plants and their associated microbiomes under flooding and control conditions, and (2) if the microbiomes of offspring of outbred plants differ from those of inbred lines in the face of flooding stress.

Cooperation with: Tobias Sandner (AG Matthies, UMR)

Cooperation Partners