Metagenomic Analysis of Microbial Communities in Fertilized and Unfertilized Soil
Location
SU-216
Start Date
1-5-2026 9:00 AM
Department
Biology
Abstract
The rhizosphere, the soil immediately surrounding plant roots, is characterized by dense bacterial communities essential for nutrient cycling and plant development. While each species within this microbiome plays a distinct role, our understanding of the complex interplay between plants, microbes, and soil amendments remains limited. Investigating these biological relationships is particularly vital for key agricultural crops like Beta vulgaris (sugar beet), which accounts for approximately 25% of global sugar production. To better understand these interactions we extracted total DNA from the rhizosphere of Beta vulgaris across five trials in fertilized and unfertilized soils. We then used The Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase) to perform metagenomic analysis and determine the relative abundances of the microbes in these samples. Bacterial species found in at least three out of the five trials were used to run a pairwise regression analysis and significant correlations (p-value below 0.1) were used to identify potential interactions between microbes. Additionally, an Analysis of Covariance was used to statistically compare regressions in the fertilized and unfertilized soils to determine their impact on the microbial communities. By comparing the relative abundances of common species across samples we were able to analyze the dynamics within microbial communities and the impact of fertilizer on these biological relationships. These microbial interactions are key to understanding rhizosphere success and plant productivity, illustrating the value of metagenomic analysis in ecological research. This study also opens up possibilities for future analyses of interesting or novel species found in the rhizosphere microbiome. Understanding specific prominent species that have yet to be researched can further our knowledge of soil microbiomes and their ecological importance.
Faculty Sponsor
Aaron Schirmer
Faculty Sponsor
Joel Olfelt
Faculty Sponsor
Elyse Bolterstein
Faculty Sponsor
Kara Nuss
Faculty Sponsor
Kip Conwell
Metagenomic Analysis of Microbial Communities in Fertilized and Unfertilized Soil
SU-216
The rhizosphere, the soil immediately surrounding plant roots, is characterized by dense bacterial communities essential for nutrient cycling and plant development. While each species within this microbiome plays a distinct role, our understanding of the complex interplay between plants, microbes, and soil amendments remains limited. Investigating these biological relationships is particularly vital for key agricultural crops like Beta vulgaris (sugar beet), which accounts for approximately 25% of global sugar production. To better understand these interactions we extracted total DNA from the rhizosphere of Beta vulgaris across five trials in fertilized and unfertilized soils. We then used The Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase) to perform metagenomic analysis and determine the relative abundances of the microbes in these samples. Bacterial species found in at least three out of the five trials were used to run a pairwise regression analysis and significant correlations (p-value below 0.1) were used to identify potential interactions between microbes. Additionally, an Analysis of Covariance was used to statistically compare regressions in the fertilized and unfertilized soils to determine their impact on the microbial communities. By comparing the relative abundances of common species across samples we were able to analyze the dynamics within microbial communities and the impact of fertilizer on these biological relationships. These microbial interactions are key to understanding rhizosphere success and plant productivity, illustrating the value of metagenomic analysis in ecological research. This study also opens up possibilities for future analyses of interesting or novel species found in the rhizosphere microbiome. Understanding specific prominent species that have yet to be researched can further our knowledge of soil microbiomes and their ecological importance.