Fermilab bioenergy cropping microbiome

This project will determine the fungal and bacterial communities associated with roots from a sustainable bioenergy feedstock cropping system, and test whether fertilization or plant identity, including intra- or inter-specific diversity, will influence the composition or functioning of the microbiome. Specifically, these bacterial (16S) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (SSU) communities were characterized, and various metrics of microbial biomass, as well as function were measured to identify plant-specific responses to fertilization and subsequent effects on associated microbial communities.