Determination of the traits that determine competitive success in root colonisation and nodulation by Rhizobium leguminosarum

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In this project we are studying the genes that enable bacteria to survive and reproduce in the soil and particularly the plant rhizosphere. The rhizosphere, which is the region immediately surrounding the plant root, is rich in nutrients and supports a large bacterial population. Competition among bacteria for nutrients is fierce and we are using signature tagged mutagenesis, microarray analysis, IVET and high throughput sequencing to understand the strategies that bacteria use to colonise this niche. We are using Rhizobium leguminosarum as a model organism and investigating how it colonises several different plant hosts. Understanding bacterial colonization is very important because it has a major impact on plant and agricultural productivity.

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