Soybean root-nodule microbiome based on 16S and nifH sequencing. Root metagenome

Soybean drives its nitrogen needs from helper bacteria that live in their root nodules, forming a symbiotic relationship. These bacteria fix nitrogen in return for plant produced carbon. Nitrogen-fixation is sensitive to abiotic stresses such as water-deficit, and effects of impairment in this process can extend to the plant health and yield. In this experiment, nine different cultivars of soybean were grown in a field. The plants were subjected to two different irrigation treatments. Both the overall microbial communities and the nitrogen-fixing communities were surveyed using 16S and nifH amplicon sequencing, respectively. The aim of this project is to understand the structure and composition of these communities, and how the soybean nodule-microbiome interactions respond to environmental perturbations.