MODERN PLANT BREEDING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED CROP YIELDS AND TRAITS LIKE GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY. HOWEVER, AS CLIMATE CHANGE INTRODUCES NEW CHALLENGES, THERE IS A NEED TO EXPLORE OVERLOOKED AREAS, SUCH AS THE PLANT MICROBIOME--THE COMMUNITY OF BACTERIA, FUNGI, AND VIRUSES LIVING IN AND AROUND PLANT ROOTS AND LEAVES. THESE MICROBES PLAYKEY ROLES IN HELPING PLANTS ABSORB NUTRIENTS AND RESIST ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSLIKE HEAT AND DROUGHT.MODERN MAIZE BREEDING HAS BEEN CONDUCTED UNDERIDEAL GROWING CONDITIONS WITH EXCESS NUTRIENTS GRANTED BY FERTILIZATION, WHICH MAY HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY REDUCED THE PLANT'S ABILITY TO REGULATE ITS MICROBIOME TO USE THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES MOST EFFICIENTLY. BY STUDYING MAIZE ALONGSIDE ITS WILD ANCESTOR, TEOSINTE, AND A RELATED CROP, SORGHUM, WE CAN TAP INTO THEIR NATURAL MECHANISMS OF MICROBIOME REGULATION TO CONFER STRESS TOLERANCE AND IDENTIFY WAYS TO STRENGTHEN MAIZE'S MICROBIOME. THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE GENETIC MAKEUP OF THESE PLANTS INFLUENCES THEIR MICROBIOMES AND HELPS THEM ADAPT TO CHALLENGING CONDITIONS.BY INVESTIGATING THE GENETICS OF MAIZE AND ITS RELATIVES, THIS WORK WILL HELP DEVELOP FUTURE CROPVARIETIES THAT ARE MORE RESILIENT TO HEAT AND NUTRIENT STRESS. IT ALSO ALIGNS WITH EFFORTS TO USE AGRICULTURAL MICROBIOMES TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FARMING AND CLIMATE-RESILIENT CROPS.