This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009. The fellowship supports a research and training plan entitled "Metagenomic Investigations of the Rhizosphere of Miscanthus gigantus" for Adina Chuang. The host institution for this research is Michigan State University, and the sponsoring scientist is James Tiedje.
Miscanthus gigantus has recently emerged as a high potential domestic, renewable bioenergy source that could play a large role in decreasing our nation's dependency on foreign petroleum supplies and minimizing the consequences of continued fossil fuel emissions. It has been shown to achieve three to six times more annual conversion of harvestable biomass as compared to switchgrass (the DOE model energy crop)with minimal agricultural inputs. Research efforts into Miscanthus could help to significantly decrease land requirements to meet the energy goals of the future. Despite the high potential of Miscanthus to meet U.S. bioenergy goals, there have been very few efforts to study and optimize its agronomy and genetics. This research uses environmental genomic techniques to help gain insight into the soil-plant environmental relationship of Miscanthus, including identifying and optimizing beneficial relationships between rhizosphere bacteria and plant productivity. Furthermore, this research helps us better understand how to manage the natural benefits offered in the rhizosphere of Miscanthus to help minimize input costs, especially fertilization, for its growth on marginal lands.
Training goals include (1) using bioinformatics tools to identify and evaluate environmental genomic information from complex environmental samples, (2) using other computational tools to streamline analysis and comparison of complex datasets, and (3) extending research experience into the management of an independent project centered around applied problem-solving and the integration of tools and expertise from multiple disciplines.
