New staff in INTERACT in February
Three new staff members have been included in the INTERACT project at AU and UCPH. Read below what their background is and how they contribute to INTERACT.
Postdoc Fani Ntana
I obtained my PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Copenhagen, where I studied the regulation and role of secondary metabolism in a plant-endophyte interaction. After I spend a short period at the University of Picardy Jules Verne in France working on genetic engineering of filamentous fungi, I joined Peter Stougaard’s group at the Department of Environmental Science in AU.
My role in INTERACT is to shed light on the molecular mechanisms behind microbial signaling in wheat rhizosphere. To do so, bacterial mutants deficient in synthesis of compounds involved in signaling with plant roots or rhizosphere microorganisms will be generated and assessed in in vitro or controlled soil systems. In addition, the regulation of biosynthesis of these compounds will be studied using fusions of regulatory gene promoters to fluorescent reporter genes, revealing chemical molecules and physical parameters that can induce or shut down their production.
Fani started her postdoc in INTERACT on 1 February 2022 in the group of Prof. Peter Stougaard.
Place of employment: Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science – Environmental Microbiology and Circular Resource Streams.
Master Student Kasper Tolborg
I have a background in Environmental Science (Model). My focus will be on the mechanisms that govern the interaction between soil microbiological communities, and the physiochemical and hydrological properties of the rhizosphere soil, that may affect plant drought stress tolerance. Specifically, I will be investigating how soil-grown biofilms alter the soil pore space, and thus it’s properties. The aim is eventually to implement a predictive model of plant-soil-microbe systems.
Kasper started his project 1 February 2022 under supervision of Assoc. Prof. Efstathios Diamantopoulos.
Place of employment: University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Chemistry and Physics
PhD Student Maja Holbak
I am doing a PhD on modelling of preferential water flow and solute transport in biopores, focusing on how preferential solute transport affects pesticide leaching to drainpipes. I primarily work with the plant-soil-atmosphere model Daisy. In the INTERACT project I will be studying the interaction of biofilms and soil hydraulic properties and how this can be modelled.
Maja's PhD is under supervision from Assoc. Prof. Efstathios Diamantopoulos.
Place of employment: University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Chemistry and Physics