Macy White

Over the past ten weeks, I have been working in Dr. Sarah Lebeis’s lab at Michigan State University to examine the influence of the ROS-auxin feedback loop on the colonization of an opportunistic pathogen. Prior to this summer, I have not had the opportunity to work in a lab, and I have greatly enjoyed my time at MSU. My project relied on multiple techniques, including vertical plate assays, disc diffusion assays, microbe-microbe interaction tests, and colonization rate quantification, all of which allowed us to better understand the microbiomes of Arabidopsis and switchgrass. We found that auxin-producing bacteria can help to mitigate the effects of an opportunistic pathogen in Arabidopsis seedlings, an exciting conclusion that may help in better understanding microbiome dynamics and studying plant disease in the future. 

Outside of the lab, I have also had the opportunity to explore Michigan for the first time with other students in my REU program, and remarkably, we survived the one-way streets and potholes in one piece. I was able to visit Grand Rapids and Lake Michigan, as well as the Kellogg Biological Station, where we went swimming and kayaking and learned even more about GLBRC. I am so grateful to GLBRC for their support of my research this summer, and I am confident that this experience will inform my scientific exploration in the future.