Honors Theses
Date of Award
2016
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Colin Jackson
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The community structure of the endophytic bacteria in Zea mays roots was examined for the potential effects of glyphosate application, tillage strategies, and whether or not the corn plant in question was of an organic or glyphosate-resistant variety. Roots were harvested from plots designated to receive their specific treatments at the USDA-ARS Crop Production Systems Research Unit Farm. Vortexing, sonication, and tissue grinding, extraction, and next generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from these roots were used to describe their bacterial community composition. Results indicated significant differences in the bacterial communities correlated to tillage practice or corn type, whereas glyphosate treatments did not seem to affect the bacterial community. There also appeared to be certain holistic differences resulting from the combinations of certain treatments. Prior research has focused primarily on fungal endophytes, but as 16S rRNA sequencing has immeasurably broadened the scope of microbiological studies, new research such as this seeks to identify new microbes and their potential functions in the macroscopic world.
Recommended Citation
Nolan, Breena Lori, "The Effects of Tillage, Glyphosate, and Genetic Modification on Bacterial Root Endophyte Composition in Zea Mays" (2016). Honors Theses. 138.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/138
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