We are investigating the importance of the microbiome and the holobiont in evolution. To test this, we are experimentally evolving the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana in conjunction with a synthetic microbial community. Plant genetic diversity is supplied with a set of A. thaliana recombinant inbred lines. The synthetic microbial community is composed of bacteria, fungi, and other eukaryotes. These microbes were isolated from the tissues and rhizosphere of A. thaliana growing in the field.
The Microbiome and Evolution
