21st Annual Student Research Conference
The Characterization and Comparison of Microfungal Communities From Sporobolus cryptandrus Roots
Patrick A. Granneman
Dr. Jose Herrera, Faculty Mentor
This summer I characterized the micro fungal communities that inhabited the roots of Sporobolus cryptandrus (Sand drop seed) plants. These communities form symbiotic relations with the plants in order to form Plant hybrids. This particular hybrid is known to be able to survive harsh environments such as extreme cold, extreme heat, and drought. After these micro fungal communities were characterized, I carefully compared the fungal communities among each of my S. cryptandrus plants. In addition, I also compared my findings with that of the Bouteloua gracilis plants that were being studied by a fellow microbiologist, Hana Khidir. With this information, my goal was to note if the plant species or plant location influenced the fungal community growing in their roots. I hypothesized that the location would have more to do with the micro fungal communities than would the species.
Keywords: Micro fungal communites inhabiting roots, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Bouteloua gracilis, Plant location vs. plant species
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 3-5
Location: OP Lobby
Time: 4:15