In collaboration with Dr. Wolfe and Dr. Kris Blee, my master’s thesis investigates the possibility that entire soil microbial communities can be selectively altered by manipulated expression of the plant defense pathway systemic acquired resistance (SAR). SAR is a broad scale systemic defense response against necrotizing bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. The ABI 310 genetic analyzer allows us to use terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis as a tool to measure bacterial community structure. We are attempting to determine whether or not communities from the same initial soil can be altered by the presence of Arabidopsis thaliana plants that are either constitutive mutants for SAR, or that lack this defense altogether.

Photos
	Arabidopsis thaliana root system