Poster Session 6, 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM: Room 163 [C17]
Evaluating Measures of Serendipita Abundance to Understand Its Role in Plant Growth and Nutrition
Presenter: Raphael Moses Amsili
Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Hestrin
School: UMass Amherst
Research Area: Biology
ABSTRACT
The fungal endophyte Serendipita bescii forms mutualistic associations with a wide range of plants, including many agricultural crops. These symbioses enhance plant nutrition, growth, and stress tolerance. Our research focuses on quantifying the contribution of S. bescii to plant acquisition of nitrogen—a key macronutrient that frequently limits plant productivity in managed and natural systems. To trace nitrogen transfer from the fungus to its host plant, we grew plants with or without S. bescii in soil amended with 15N-enriched organic matter. To determine whether fungal colonization of soil and roots is positively associated with fungal nitrogen uptake and transfer to plants, we are quantifying fungal abundance through complementary molecular and microscopy-based approaches. We will develop a species-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay targeting the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region unique to S. bescii, using a plasmid-based standard curve to relate ITS copy number to fungal biomass and DNA concentration. In parallel, we will quantify root colonization through microscopy. Together, these methods will provide a robust and accurate assessment of fungal abundance, thus allowing us to test whether greater S. bescii colonization is positively correlated with plant growth and nutrition.