Lezing | webinar
CCLS Seminar
- Datum
- dinsdag 22 februari 2022
- Tijd
- Locatie
- Online only
Dr. Vincent Merckx is Research Group Leader of the Research Group Understanding Evolution at Naturalis Biodiversity Center.
Mapping underground biodiversity
The soil is home to one quarter of all living species on earth. A gram of soil can contain thousands of species from all major branches of the tree of life. These soil organisms have crucial roles in nutrient cycling, the maintenance of soil fertility and soil carbon sequestration, and soil biodiversity has both direct and indirect effects on the health of plants and animals in terrestrial ecosystems. However, as most organisms living in the soil remain undescribed mapping soil biodiversity is a daunting task. I will discuss the power and challenges of DNA-based techniques to identify microorganisms in the soil, in particular fungi, and to map their complex interactions with plants.