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2017_56: Assessing soil and rhizosphere microbiomes of native and invasive plants on South Georgia Island Supervisors: Dr Anne D. Jungblut ([email protected]), Dr Thomas Bell (Life Sciences); Baruch Spiro, (Natural History Museum) Department: Natural History Museum / Life Sciences Microorganisms are a major component of soils, and are essential for maintaining key terrestrial ecosystems, where they form diverse assemblages of bacteria, archaea, fungi and other microbial eukaryotes. Plants interact with microbes, which can effect plant growth, health, and adaptation to stressful environments. The rhizosphere comprises microorganism and soils that are directly in contact with plant roots. It is a selective environment with microbial communities varying between plant species likely due to excretion of compounds including antimicrobials and organic acids. Due to the close interaction between microorganisms and plants, the microbial diversity and activity of the rhizosphere is a key component for plant fitness and changes in plantmicrobe interactions may have implications for plant growth. Plant invasions are a global concern because they pose a direct threat to biodiversity and natural resource management, in particular in protected and remote areas. This is especially the case for the South Atlantic island, South Georgia, which is located in the polar transition zone (northern limit of winter sea ice and the southern fringe of the Polar Front Zone) and currently experiencing rapid climatic change. Long term monitoring and an invasive plant eradication program has provided an understanding of the abundance, distribution and management of some of the invasive plant populations on South Georgia, but little is still known about the underlining mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions and influence of invasive plants on the soil and rhizosphere microbiomes in a colder climate such as South Georgia island. The aims of the project are 1) to assess and compare bacteria, archaea and microbial eukaryote composition bulk soil and rhizosphere of native and invasive plants on South Georgia Island; 2) to characterize physical and chemical properties of soils; and 3) to evaluate how rhizosphere microbiomes and growth of native plants may be affected by invasive species. For more information on how to apply visit us at www.imperial.ac.uk/changingplanet Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet The PhD student will carry out field work to collect rhizosphere and bulk soil samples on South Georgia for molecular and chemical analysis. Microbial community assemblage (bacteria, archaea, fungi and microbial eukaryotes) will be analyzed using a combination of environmental DNA and high throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, statistical and microbial community structure analysis techniques. The chemistry of the soils will be determined using isotope and trace elements analysis. This will enable us to determine what nutrients are available and how much, which are limited and where the dominant sources are. Field-based transplant manipulation experiments will be performed in combination with DNA sequencing, soil chemistry and carbon measurements to evaluate how rhizosphere microbiomes and growth of native plants may be affected by invasive species. For more information on how to apply visit us at www.imperial.ac.uk/changingplanet