T. Northen

Cynipid wasps systematically reprogram host metabolism and restructure cell walls in developing galls

This study investigates how Cynipid wasps alter plant metabolism and cell wall structure to form galls, revealing coordinated lignin and xylan deposition in gall vasculature.

Label-free structural imaging of plant roots and microbes using third-harmonic generation microscopy

This study uses third-harmonic generation microscopy to image plant roots and microbes in their natural environment without labels.

Assessing horizontal gene transfer in the rhizosphere of Brachypodium distachyon using fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs)

This study demonstrates the use of EcoFABs to measure horizontal gene transfer frequency in the rhizosphere of Brachypodium distachyon, showing dependencies on plant stage, root exudates, donor cell numbers, and environmental stress.

Mapping the soil microbiome functions shaping wetland methane emissions

The paper maps soil microbiome functions in wetlands to understand methane emissions by analyzing microbial communities and gene expression across spatial and temporal gradients.

Powdery mildew infection induces a non-canonical route to storage lipid formation at the expense of host thylakoid lipids to fuel its spore production

This study shows powdery mildew infection causes plant thylakoid lipid breakdown to produce storage lipids for fungal spore production, involving DGAT3 in chloroplasts.

Rhizonet: Image Segmentation for Plant Root in Hydroponic Ecosystem

Rhizonet is a deep learning model for segmenting plant root images in hydroponic systems, improving accuracy and reducing manual effort in root biomass analysis.

Substrate availability and not thermal-acclimation controls microbial temperature sensitivity response to long term warming

The paper investigates how long-term warming affects microbial physiology by comparing thermal acclimation and substrate availability, finding that reduced carbon availability, not thermal acclimation, drives changes in microbial processes.

Metabolic traits and the niche of bulk soil bacteria in a Mediterranean grassland

This study compares metabolic traits of bulk soil and rhizosphere bacteria in a Mediterranean grassland, finding bulk soil bacteria better adapted to degrade plant polymers.

Nutrient and moisture limitation reveal keystone metabolites that link switchgrass rhizosphere metabolome and microbiome dynamics

This study identifies keystone metabolites linking switchgrass rhizosphere metabolome and microbiome dynamics under nutrient and moisture stress.

A reproducible and tunable synthetic soil microbial community provides new insights into microbial ecology

This paper develops a stable, reproducible synthetic soil microbial community for studying plant-microbe interactions and demonstrates its viability after cryopreservation.

Tracing carbon metabolism with stable isotope metabolomics reveals the legacy of diverse carbon sources in soil

This study uses stable isotope metabolomics to track 13C from diverse carbon sources in soil over time, showing that carbon source type influences metabolite labeling and microbial activity patterns.

Engineering sorghum for higher 4-hydroxybenzoic acid content

This paper engineers sorghum to overproduce 4-hydroxybenzoic acid by expressing modified bacterial enzymes, resulting in 1.56-1.72% dry weight accumulation without affecting biomass or agronomic traits.

Identification of effector metabolites using exometabolite profiling of diverse microalgae

This study identifies exometabolites from diverse microalgae using metabolomic analysis and shows some compounds affect algal growth.

Drought shifts sorghum root metabolite and microbiome profiles and enriches the stress response factor pipecolic acid

This study investigates how drought affects sorghum root metabolite and microbiome profiles, identifying pipecolic acid as a drought-enriched metabolite that suppresses root growth.

Cervicovaginal microbiome composition drives metabolic profiles in healthy pregnancy

The paper investigates how cervicovaginal microbiome composition influences metabolic profiles in healthy pregnancies across trimesters and the first year of life.

Root morphology and exudate availability is shaped by particle size and chemistry in Brachypodium distachyon

This study shows root morphology is affected by substrate size, but exudation is not, and exudate availability depends on substrate chemistry.

Processing of grassland soil C-N compounds into soluble and volatile molecules is depth stratified and mediated by genomically novel bacteria and archaea

The paper links genomically novel soil microbes to depth-stratified carbon and nitrogen cycling by analyzing metagenomic and proteomic data from grassland soils.