Vlastimil Novak
Project Scientist
Research Interests
Investigating the role of nutrient availability and exometabolites on mechanisms of dynamic plant-microbe interactions.
The effective use of natural resources will require the growth of bioenergy crops on marginal soils with minimal input of synthetic N fertilizers. Studies have shown that root exudation is critical in attracting beneficial soil microbiomes. However, the full impact of exometabolites on plant-microbe interactions and N cycling in the rhizosphere remains poorly understood. To shed light on these dynamic processes, I utilize stable isotope techniques, metabolomics, and model grasses grown in EcoFABs. By deciphering the mechanisms behind grass-microbe interactions, my research aims to develop predictive models, identify new breeding targets, and explore microbial amendment strategies that can enhance plant nitrogen use efficiency.
Recent Publications
Related News
EcoFAB: A Tool for Combating Climate Change and Training the Next Generation
Fabricated ecosystems—EcoFABs—are plastic, takeout box–sized growth chambers developed at Berkeley Lab to be a standardized and reproducible platform for conducting experiments on model plants and the microbes that live around their roots. A greater understanding of how plants and microbes work together to store vast amounts of atmospheric carbon in the soil will help in the design of better bioenergy crops for the fight against climate change.
