** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WITHIN THE NEXT 20-30 YEARS, THE WORLD NEEDS TO PRODUCE ROUGHLY 50% MORE FOOD FOR ITS GROWING POPULATION ON FARMLAND THAT IS SHRINKING EVERY YEAR. THE MICROBES (BACTERIA, FUNGI, AND VIRUSES) THAT GROW ON THE ROOTS OF PLANTS CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL TO HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. MICROBES THAT GROW IN ASSOCIATION WITH PLANTS ARE KNOWN TO BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR PLANT GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND HEALTH. HOWEVER, WE LACK AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES (MICROBIOMES) ARE FORMED OR HOW THEY CHANGE OVER TIME. WE KNOW THAT THE MICROBES WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND PROMOTE/INHIBIT EACH OTHER'S GROWTH, AND THESE INTERACTIONS CAN ALTER THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY. FOR EXAMPLE, MICROBE A HAS A GENE THAT ALLOWS IT TO PRODUCE COMPOUND A, AND COMPOUND A KILLS MICROBE B. THIS INTERACTION WILL ALLOW MICROBE A TO OUTCOMPETE AND KILL OFF MICROBE B, AND MICROBE A WILL GROW BETTER AND MAKE UP A LARGER PROPORTION OF THE COMMUNITY. MICROBIOMES CONTAIN HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS OF UNIQUE MICROBES, SO FINDING GOOD WAYS TO STUDY THESE COMMUNITIES AND THEIR INTERACTIONS IS ESSENTIAL. IF WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THESE COMMUNITIES ARE FORMED AND HOW THE MICROBES INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, WE CAN USE THIS INFORMATION TO ENHANCE THE GROWTH OF THE MICROBES THAT WE KNOW WILL IMPROVE PLANT GROWTH OR INHIBIT THE GROWTH OF MICROBES THAT MAY HARM IT.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PLANT ROOT MICROBIOMES AND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE MICROBES WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. TO DO THIS, I WILL BE USING A PANEL OF MICROBES THAT WERE ISOLATED FROM THE ROOTS OF CORN GROWN IN IOWA. I WILL TAKE THESE MICROBES, MIX THEM TOGETHER, AND PLACE THEM ON THE ROOTS OF CORN. AFTER THE MICROBES HAVE TIME TO INTERACT (A FEW DAYS TO A FEW WEEKS), I WILL COLLECT THE BACTERIA AND DETERMINE HOW MANY OF EACH MICROBE WERE PRESENT IN THE MIXED COMMUNITY. I WILL ALSO BE ANALYZING WHICH GENES ARE IMPORTANT FOR THESE INTERACTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF MICROBE A HARMS MICROBE B, BUT MICROBE C PROVIDES NUTRIENTS FOR MICROBE B, MICROBE B WILL NEED TO USE DIFFERENT GENES FOR EACH INTERACTION. WE HOPE TO UNTANGLE SOME OF THIS COMPLEXITY THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS PROJECT. FINALLY, THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE INFORMATION ON HOW GROUPS OF MICROBES INTERACT WHILE ON THE ROOTS OF PLANTS AND THE GENES THAT THEY USE WITHIN THESE INTERACTIONS. IN THE FUTURE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION TO MANIPULATE THE MICROBIOMES ON THE ROOTS OF PLANTS, ENHANCING THE GROWTH OF MICROBES THAT PROMOTE PLANT GROWTH, ALLOWING US TO GROW BIGGER AND HEALTHIER PLANTS.