| Two members of the CRB,
Jorge Vivanco and Frank Stermitz, have joined their labs in a collaborative
effort to study how a group of proteins called ABC transporters mediate
root exudation. With a $1.1 million grant from NSF, and the collaboration
of Dr. Victor Loyola-Vargas of CICY in Merida, Mexico, they hope to
probe the molecular mechanisms by which plants secrete chemicals into
the rhizosphere. |
 |
 |
One of CRB’s
central interests is the study of how plant exudates interact with
each other, the soil, and various soil microbes. To this end they
have embarked on a series of ambitious projects, including a collaboration
with Dr. Dan Manter at the USDA to examine how soil fungal populations
respond to the introduction of various plants, and a detailed look
at how, when, and why spotted knapweed releases its allelochemical
catechin into the soil. Recent work related to spotted knapweed's
effect upon the soil is highlighted here. |
 |
CRB,
in conjunction with the Institute for Environmental Studies at the
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (IDEA-PUCP),
will be hosting a PASI, "Interdisciplinary
Studies in Tropical Chemical Biology," at the Tambopata Chemical
Ecology Institute (TCEI) in Tambopata National Reserve, Peru, from
May 26 - June 5, 2008. |
|
|
