Beneficial microbes protect plants from pathogen attacks
News Source: UBC Microbiology
May 10, 2021
“Plants are a much more tractable system. We can make genetic and mechanistic advances very quickly and affordably compared to mice, which are more cost and labour intensive. We hope that this work will inform how animals, including humans, recruit beneficial microbes when we sense a pathogen. When it comes to the interface of immunity, the microbiome, and pathogens, we hope plants can be a model for many organisms.” – Dr. Cara Haney
Dr. Cara Haney, CSFS associate and professor in UBC’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, conducted research on how plants can recruit beneficial bacteria (i.e. their microbiome) to protect against pathogens. This is part of a phenomenon known as “disease suppressive soils”, and is a promising agricultural method to prevent pathogen damage to plants.