Kevin Garcia
Assistant Professor
Faculty
3234 Williams Hall
“The research in my laboratory focuses on deciphering the molecular basis of bi-directional nutrient fluxes between plant roots and soil microbes, with a particular emphasis on arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal associations. Mycorrhizal fungi considerably improve nutrition of the host plant. Therefore, it is conceivable that utilizing these natural symbioses will reduce the amount of fertilizers in future agricultural and agroforestry practices. We explore the molecular players participating in nutrient allocation in arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal associations using physiological, biochemical, molecular, genetic, and transcriptomic approaches. Our research contributes to the harnessing of plant-microbe associations to improve nutrient use efficiency and tolerance to global environmental changes in agroecosystems.”
Other Web sites:
Scoop-it webpage: http://www.scoop.it/t/nutrient-transport-in-plants
Twitter account: https://twitter.com/Garcia__Kevin
Publications
- Editorial: Importance of Root Symbiomes for Plant Nutrition: New Insights, Perspectives and Future Challenges, Frontiers in Plant Science (2020)
- Fungal Shaker-like channels beyond cellular K+ homeostasis: A role in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis between Hebeloma cylindrosporum and Pinus pinaster, PLOS ONE (2020)
- Lipo-chitooligosaccharides as regulatory signals of fungal growth and development, NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2020)
- Micronutrient transport in mycorrhizal symbiosis; zinc steals the show, Fungal Biology Reviews (2020)
- Physiological and transcriptomic response of Medicago truncatula to high and low benefit mycorrhizal fungi (2020)
- Role of cytosolic, tyrosine‐insensitive prephenate dehydrogenase in Medicago truncatula, Plant Direct (2020)
- Beneficial Plant Microbe Interactions and Their Effect on Nutrient Uptake, Yield, and Stress Resistance of Soybeans, Soybean – Biomass, Yield and Productivity (2019)
- Harnessing Soil Microbes to Improve Plant Phosphate Efficiency in Cropping Systems, Agronomy (2019)
- Nutrient demand and fungal access to resources control the carbon allocation to the symbiotic partners in tripartite interactions of Medicago truncatula, Plant, Cell & Environment (2019)
- Phosphorus Transport in Mycorrhiza: How Far Are We?, Trends in Plant Science (2019)