Plant Microbiology- Prof Doty

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Sharon L. Doty- Plant Microbiology Lab

LAB NEWS  (please click here for a full listing of Lab News to see the videos, news stories, and press releases about our research)

Dec 2024: Our paper was accepted in ISME Communications: Sher, A. W., Tournay, R. J., Gomez-Rivas, E., and Doty, S. L. 2024 (in press). Bacterial synergies amplify nitrogenase activity in diverse systems. ISME Communications (in press) DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae158

2024: Our paper, “Dynamic nitrogen fixation in an aerobic endophyte of Populus,” was published in the ISME journal in January

2023: Our papers on bioremediation of arsenic and biocontrol of plant pathogens were published.  Click on the PUBLICATIONS tab for a complete listing

July 2023:  Our proposal to the UW Climate Science Research Acceleration Fund was recommended for full funding.  This award will support graduate student Morgan Raimondo’s research on heat tolerance conferring endophytes from wild poplar

April 2023: Our proposal to the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission was chosen for full funding.  This award will enable the continuation of our project on the development and testing of natural biocontrol strains for fire blight

July 2021: The Arbor Day Foundation teamed up with IntrinsyxEnvironmental to use our pollutant-degrading endophytes to improve phytoremediation and increase carbon sequestration.  News stories about it are from Arbor Day Foundation and FastCompany

1 Apr 2021: Article in Good Fruit Grower magazine on our projects for the apple and pear industries:  Fight the Blight with an Endophyte

24 Nov 2020: Press releases about our endophytic phosphate solubilization paper:

UW News: Microbes help unlock phosphorus for plants

EMSL News: For plants, endophytes promote phosphorus uptake

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Our Plant Microbiology Laboratory researches ways to use natural plant-microbe symbioses to solve pressing environmental issues. Our laboratory demonstrated that endophytes, the microorganisms within plants, can fix dinitrogen, solubilize phosphate, degrade pollutants,  and inhibit fungal pathogens.   By selecting microbial strains from early-successional plants growing in natural, nutrient-limited conditions, we can target those that have the greatest impact on plant survival.

For the last two decades, we have isolated and cultured endophytes, and researched the mechanisms by which they colonize plants, increase plant growth and yields in nutrient-limited conditions, increase water use efficiency and drought tolerance, and improve plant health.  Our research is being used in agriculture, forestry, bioenergy, and environmental restoration.

Links to press releases, videos, and news articles: Lab news

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Our lab is passionate about helping the environment but is often limited by funding.  Please consider helping support our research through a tax-deductible donation.  Click on the “Donate” tab for more information.  Thank you!

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