Viruses are highly abundant and play key roles in global biogeochemistry. This project will connect the virome and microbiome to nitrogen cycling in perennial bioenergy cropping systems on marginal lands. The project will leverage an existing field experiment with time-series sampling of the switchgrass rhizosphere. The project will test hypotheses linking nutrient cycling to viral lifestyle, and hypotheses about trade-offs between host growth rate and resistance to infection. Understanding viruses in the rhizosphere will allow better management of the microbiome for sustainability.
Proposer: Richard White III, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Proposal: Elucidating the role of bacteriophage lifestyle strategy in Microbially-Mediated Perennial Rhizosphere Nitrogen Transformations