Project:

The Influence Plant Viruses Have on the Microbial Biodiversity in the Rhizosphere of Plants

Students:

Makaylei Thrane, Victoria Cordova Morote

School:

William Floyd High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

Victoria D'Ambrosia

Abstract:

Tobacco Mosaic Virus is one of the biggest threats to agriculture and Long Island plant biodiversity. It can single handedly wipe out an entire field of crop and leave the tobacco economy devastated. The aim of this research is to: (1) Compare how microbial biodiversity in plants with and without TMV analyzed by another group changed over a two week span and (2) analyze the rhizosphere from these plants to see how viruses influence microbial diversity in plants. Previously, students were unable to extract DNA from roots after one week of exposure due to the likelihood of killing the plant. This lead to a gap in knowledge concerning change in microbes over time as well as how the virus influences the rhizosphere. We expect that after analyzing the 16S gene, microbial diversity will decrease in TMV infected plants and will negatively impact the microbiota presence in the rhizosphere.

Poster:

Team samples: