This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports research by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) to investigate the mechanisms by which beneficial microbes interact with the plant immune system. The $418,992 award, effective from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027, will fund three key research objectives: 1) understanding how a core plant microbiome bacterium uses flagellar switching to colonize plants while evading the host immune response, 2) dissecting the function of plant transcription factors in maintaining immune system-microbiome balance, and 3) deploying advanced single-cell and spatial transcriptomic techniques to model how host-commensal interactions shape microbial community dynamics on plants. The research aims to define microbe-based interventions that can modulate plant immunity, improve plant health and productivity, and enhance carbon sequestration. The project also includes undergraduate training opportunities and public outreach through the UNC Morehead Science Center.
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