I am working with the protist microbiome in agricultural soils. I explore the effects of different agricultural practices on the species and functional composition of soil protists. I have initiated experiments in the lab to test different types of heterotrophic protists and their effects on the species composition of a bacterial synthetic community (SynCom). I plan to examine the influence of these SynComs on plant growth and overall health, using wheat as a test organism. The overall goal is to create a cross-kingdom SynCom that can be useful in the pursuit of sustainable agriculture.
