Research
The Dini-Andreote Lab is affiliated with the Department of Plant Science (College of Agricultural Sciences) and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. The lab is also active with distinct research centers on campus.
Center for root and rhizosphere biology
An interdisciplinary team of PIs, post-docs, and graduate students working toward a better understanding of root function and root health, including root architecture and anatomical traits, associations with symbionts, and rhizosphere microbiology. Together we develop strategies to create new resilient crops and agroecosystems.
Microbiome center
The goal of the Microbiome Center at Penn State is to support transformative and interdisciplinary research. The center provides infrastructure and resources for increasing the diversity and breadth of interdisciplinary research, including structured and tacit educational opportunities for students and researchers.
center for parasitic and carnivorous plants
Most plants are photoautotrophs, however, some lineages have evolved to become parasites, and others carnivorous. The center focuses on studying the evolution and biology of carnivorous plants, and the control of parasitic plants causing billions in annual losses to agriculture worldwide.
Ongoing Research Projects
The genetic basis of maize response to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
A new project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
PIs: Ruairidh Sawers, Liana Burghardt, Francisco Dini-Andreote
Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation for Enhancing and Advancing the SustainabilitY of Organic Specialty Crop Production Systems (ASD-EASY Organic)
A new project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture/Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)
PIs: Francesco Di Gioia, Francisco Dini-Andreote (with partners at PSU and PIs at the University of Florida and at USDA ARS)
Animal biases in fruit selection and seed dispersal as drivers of biotic filters in the assembly of successional forests and their carbon capture potential
A new project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF – Dimensions of Biodiversity)
PIs: Tomás Carlo, Jim Marden, Francisco Dini-Andreote
A Novel Root Trait to Improve Maize Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration: Lignified Outer Cortical Parenchyma Cells
This project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
PIs: Jonathan Lynch, Hannah Schneider, Francisco Dini-Andreote
PROMISE: Promoting root microbiomes for integrated striga eradication
The parasitic weed Striga is the greatest biological constraint to the production of many crops in Sub-Saharan Africa affecting ca. of 50–300 million hectares of field soils. Here we focus on devoloping microbial-inspired solutions for Striga control. Read more here
Research Topics
Agroecology
We study how land use and agricultural management affect soil biodiversity and influence plant yield. This includes a range of environmental and ecological factors, such as nutrient cycling, pathogen and weed, soil life, and multifunctionality. The aim is to develop and design productive and sustainable agroecosystems by applying informed ecological solutions and microbiome management in field settings.
Plant-microbe interactions
Plants recruit and nurture a diverse community of microbes to live in close association with their roots. These ‘rhizobiomes’ considerably expand the plant’s genomic and metabolic capabilities, providing essential life-support functions such as nutrient acquisition, modulation of immune responses and (a)biotic stress tolerance. The lab is primarily interested in integrating root physiology (exudation, architecture and anatomical traits) with microbiome composition and functionality.
Microbial Community Ecology
We have a broad interest in studying the ecological processes and mechanisms mediating microbial community assembly and successional dynamics. Current lab experiments align with the topics of ecological invasions, community coalescence, species interactions and co-occurrence, disturbance (drought, salinity, pathogen), microbiome resistance and resilience, and multifunctionality.
