My interests lie in the ways bacteria interact with their environment, plant hosts, and each other. Specifically my research focuses on two areas: microbial ecology and molecular plant-microbe interactions .

Microbial Ecology:

Bacteria are among the oldest life forms and are the most populous organisms on the planet and t is estimated that approximately 0.1% of microbes can be grown in the laboratory using standard microbiological methods. It has been only within the last decade that scientists have developed methods, such as metagenomics, to glimpse into the vast diversity of the non-culturable members of the community. The goal of the research in my lab is to begin cataloging and assessing the contribution Bacteria have to the California Vernal Pool Ecosystem CPVE; an ephemeral wetland found in shallow depressions with an underlying impermeable substrate, which prevents water from percolating through the soil. These wetlands form as a result of winter rainfall, and consist of two biological phases: an aquatic and flower phase. The communities found in the CPVE, in both the aquatic and flower phase, are of particular concern because they contain high levels of biodiversity (invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants) with a large proportion of them being threatened and endangered species. We began our studies in 2009, in collaboration with Dr. Jamie Kneitel, of local vernal pool sites around the Sacramento area. It is our goal to determine the identity of Bacteria and understand the metabolic contribution of these bacteria to the CPVE. Collectively, data acquired during this project will add to the increasing body of knowledge about the diversity organisms that inhabit this unique ecosystem, and will contribute to the larger understanding of bacterial diversity on our planet.


Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions:

These intricate relationships are formed on the basis of environmental and molecular cues produced both by the bacterium and the plant host. Using a variety of post-genomic techniques and more classical genetic approaches in the laboratory, we can begin to elucidate at the genetic level the molecular factors in bacteria that allow these relationships to form. A better understanding of how both pathogenic and beneficial relationships form between bacteria and plants will help to achieve the following goals: 1) Develop new strategies for disease management by preventing pathogenic relationships from forming; and 2) Exploit traits displayed by beneficial bacteria to increase plant health, crop yield and disease protection while reducing the use of chemical pesticides.