Synthetic Symbiotes: Engineering Opine-Mediated Plant-Microbe Interactions

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

Beneficial microbes have great potential to improve plant growth, health, and resilience in agricultural settings, but many microbial treatments fail to establish or persist long enough to deliver their intended benefit. These microbes often struggle to compete with native soil microorganisms or survive long enough to influence the plant. This project explores a new strategy to improve colonization by supporting a selective association between plants and beneficial bacteria, enabling more reliable delivery of microbial benefits. The research will also investigate the biochemistry of the enzymes that produce the molecules supporting these specific plant-microbe associations. This work may lead to more predictable and efficient use of microbial technologies in agriculture. The project will also train undergraduate and graduate students in biology and engineering. In addition, we will engage K–12 students through interactive science outreach activities, and will lead a one-day professional development workshop for local elementary teachers focused on synthetic biology topics related to plants, food, and agriculture. This project will investigate the engineering of opine-mediated mutualistic plant-microbe interactions. Opines are small molecules naturally produced in some plant-microbe systems that can serve as a carbon and nitrogen source for specific bacteria. We will assess the genetic requirements for opine utilization in plant-beneficial bacteria, characterize the enzymes that synthesize opines in plants, and evaluate how these traits affect microbial colonization and persistence across both simplified and complex root-associated communities. This research will reveal how specific associations between opine-producing plants and opine-catabolizing microbes can be designed to improve the delivery of beneficial bacteria to plants. The findings will support the development of more reliable and targeted microbial technologies for use in agriculture. This project is supported by the Systems and Synthetic Biology cluster in the Molecular and Cellular Bioscience Division of the Directorate for Biological Sciences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.