Research summary
Plant microbiota—the tens of thousands of organisms living in the soil—play a central role in plant health and productivity. Dr. Étienne Yergeau, Canada Research Chair in Ecological Manipulation of Plant Microbiota, seeks to manipulate microbiota with a view to developing solutions to a host of pressing problems, including environmental contamination, declining agricultural productivity, and climate change.
Yergeau and his team are developing statistical and theoretical models based on the results of large-scale experiments. They will use these to test new ecological strategies for manipulating microbiota to make them more beneficial for plants, using wheat as a model system. Their work will improve both crop quality and crop resistance to climate change.