MAKING EVERY SEED COUNT: ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTION OF THE SPERMOSPHERE MICROBIOME

The majorgoal of this researchis to produce foundational knowledge on the spermosphere microbiome for improved future microbiome manipulation and pathogen control.This goal will be accomplished in three objectives. In objective onewe want to know if there is a common set of microbes and functions recruited to the spermosphere despite differences in taxonomic composition. In objective twowe want to test if steaming has an effect on the colonization and transmission of seed-associated microbes into the spermosphere and into the seedling. Then in objective three, we want to know the role of pathogen secondary metabolites alter the assembly of the spermosphere microbiome.