Sep 11, 2020
Professor Wood specializes in
the roles of soil microbial communities and is currently studying
the importance of
microbial diversity impacting plant diversity in
rainforests.
In this podcast, she explores
Dr. Jen Wood is an associate
lecturer in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Microbiology
at La Trobe University in Australia. She's just begun co-heading a
laboratory that centers on understanding the role of microbes in
ecosystems so that scientists might better manage these systems,
whether in an agricultural, rainforest, or human-gut setting.
She describes a particular study near Queensland examining why
rainforests are so botanically diverse. They've observed that
something happens when the plants move from the seedling to sapling
stage that manages and sets up this effective balance. The evidence
points to microbes killing off dominate species, maintaining a
degree of balance.
She discusses many findings,
challenges, and procedures that spin from this study. For example,
when they try and compare soil patches, the microbial turnover is
too great and the rhizosphere is so interconnected that separating
out by species is too complicated. Therefore, rather than compare
three seedling patches taxonomically, they compare them by
microbial traits. A trait is any physical or morphological
attribute that helps an organism compete.
Examples include motility, presence of efflux pumps, ability to
produce antibiotics, and ability to undergo chemotaxis. She notes
that when comparing three patches by microbial traits, they've
found patterns in the data. She also addresses fire in rainforests
and studying recovery and ways to understand competition in these
environments.
For more, see her information
page on La Trobe's website, scholars.latrobe.edu.au/display/j5wood;
her personal website, jenwoodmicro.wordpress.com;
and follow her on Twitter, @JW_ilikedirt.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK