Clark University’s new Experimental Plant Investigation Center (EPIC) is home to cutting-edge research led by Biology Professor Chandra Jack, whose work explores how the interactions between plants and microbes could revolutionize food production and contribute to food security amid a changing climate.
Since joining Clark in 2021, Jack had long awaited a dedicated space to study the intricate relationships between plants and microbes. With the opening of EPIC, a state-of-the-art 1,725-square-foot greenhouse, Jack and her team can now conduct research that could help develop sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the effects of climate change on food systems.
One of her key projects, supported by a $450,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, focuses on understanding how Trifolium barbigerum (bearded clover) attracts beneficial rhizobia bacteria, which are crucial for fixing nitrogen in soil, enhancing plant growth and soil fertility. Jack’s work explores how these microbes can form partnerships with plants in various environmental conditions, potentially improving crop yields and soil health.
The research is crucial as scientists seek to predict how plant-microbe partnerships might evolve under climate change and what these changes could mean for food security. Jack’s studies on the genetic evolution of these mutualistic relationships, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, offer insight into how such adaptations could reshape agriculture in the future.
With the controlled environment of EPIC, Jack can manipulate temperature, humidity, and light conditions to replicate natural ecosystems while maintaining precision. This allows her to conduct experiments year-round, providing valuable data for sustainable farming practices. “The opportunity to research in such a well-controlled, environmentally conscious space is invaluable,” Jack notes.
In addition to Jack’s NSF-funded project, her team of graduate and undergraduate students is investigating various aspects of plant-microbe interactions. Ph.D. students Samia Riaz and Fatemeh Noori, along with undergraduate Wiktoria Golemo, are studying the signaling processes that govern microbial selection and how genomic variations in bacteria affect plant growth.
Riaz’s research focuses on how bacteria “choose” the plants they associate with, while Noori examines the role of bacterial genomics in plant survival. Golemo’s upcoming research, funded by the Geller Endowment, will explore how microbial responses to climate change vary across native and invasive plant species.
The research conducted at EPIC also spans crops like wheat and corn. Jack’s prior work with Washington State University has involved studying the microbial biodiversity in wheat grown in agricultural versus natural prairie environments. These comparisons may yield insights into the effects of agricultural practices on soil health, seedling development, and crop yield.
In collaboration with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Jack is investigating how plants and bacteria can work together to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils, a vital step toward improving environmental sustainability.
Jack’s groundbreaking research highlights the immense potential of plant-microbe interactions in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture. “There is so much yet to be discovered about the potential of plants to help heal the earth,” she reflects.
With EPIC at her disposal, Jack is poised to expand her studies and push the boundaries of how biology can contribute to solving global food security challenges.
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