**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITY (OR MICROBIOME) ASSOCIATED WITH PLANTS AFFECT HOW PLANTS GROW, USE NUTRIENTS, AND RESPOND TO POLLUTION. PLANTS COMMUNICATE TO THEIR MICROBIOME THROUGH EXUDATES, OR SMALL ORGANIC CHEMICALS RELEASED BY THE PLANT. DUCKWEED IS A SMALL, FLOATING AQUATIC PLANT THAT THRIVES IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS THAT ARE POLLUTED WITH AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN RUNOFF WATER. DUCKWEED HAS BEEN USED TO REMOVE EXCESS NUTRIENTS AND OTHER ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FROM THESE SYSTEMS AND IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE FOR BIOFUELS AND FEED. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO OPTIMIZEDUCKWEED FOR POLLUTANT REMOVAL AND FOOD OR FUEL PRODUCTION BY MANIPULATING THE DUCKWEED MICROBIOME. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE WILL FIRST DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DUCKWEED EXUDATES, ITS MICROBIOME, AND THE CHEMICAL POLLUTANTS AMMONIUM AND ANTIBIOTICS. ONCE WE ESTABLISH THESE FUNDAMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS, WE WILL DETERMINE HOW DUCKWEED MICROBIOMES AFFECT THE UPTAKE AND METABOLISM OF AMMONIUM AND ANTIBIOTICS BY DUCKWEED. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WILL INOCULATE DUCKWEED WITH ENGINEERED MICROBIOMES TO DEVELOP DUCKWEEDS WITH ENHANCEDPOLLUTANT REMEDIATION POTENTIAL. IN DOING SO, WE WILL CHARACTERIZE WHAT HAPPENS TO AMMONIUM AND ANTIBIOTICS IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS DOMINATED BY DUCKWEEDS.

Research Foundation Of The City University Of New York, New York NY

Investigators