Plant roots are colonized by a staggering amount of microbes spanning the whole spectra from parasitic to mutualistic interactions with their host. The often unexplored endophytic root microflora includes numerous fungal commensals which provide no obvious benefit to their host plant nor do they cause harm. Our main research interest in CEPLAS is to elucidate the structure and function of the root endophytic mycoflora of annual and perennial Brassicaceae species. Do plants select microbes from soil and, if yes, how do they communicate with the root microbiota? How does the plant environment (e.g. soil parameters) modulate this selection? The overall goal is to devise approaches for the transfer of host adapted microbiomes to other plant species to enhance their performance.
