Liana T. Burghardt

Natural isolates of Sinorhizobium meliloti with dry, as opposed to mucoid, colony morphologies have higher soil fitness, slightly lower host fitness, and reduced nitrogen fixation

This study compares dry and mucoid Sinorhizobium meliloti isolates, finding dry strains have higher soil fitness but mucoid strains provide greater host benefits.

Active and total rhizosphere microbiomes of plant mixtures diverge from additive expectations, depending on nitrogen and plant composition

The paper examines rhizosphere microbiome dynamics in plant mixtures and finds non-additive effects in legume-grass combinations under nitrogen addition.

Alfalfa varieties can weakly choose beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria from a population isolated from a single field

The paper investigates whether alfalfa can select beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria from a field population, finding weak selection for beneficial strains in two of three varieties.

Rhizobia independently adapt to soil and legume host environments, but soil conditions influence the abundance of high-quality partners.

This study shows rhizobia adapt independently to soil and legume host environments, but soil conditions affect the abundance of high-quality nitrogen-fixing strains.

Mutations in legume genes that influence symbiosis create a complex selective landscape for rhizobial symbionts

This study investigates how host mutations affect rhizobial fitness by inoculating Medicago truncatula mutants with Sinorhizobium meliloti strains, revealing host-by-strain interactions and identifying key rhizobial genes involved in fitness responses.

Nodule branching, size, and symbiosis outcomes are shaped by natural genetic variation in rhizobial bacteria and alfalfa hosts

This study examines how genetic variation in alfalfa and rhizobial bacteria affects nodule morphology and symbiotic outcomes, finding host and bacterial genetic influences on nodule structure and mutualistic benefits.

Cover crop microbiomes affect legume cash crop growth but not consistently through enriching nitrogen-fixing rhizobia

The paper investigates how legume cover crops influence nitrogen-fixing rhizobia in cash crops, finding host-specific effects on nodulation and growth.

The activity of soil microbial taxa in the rhizosphere predicts the success of root colonization

The paper uses BONCAT to study microbial activity in soil-to-root gradients, finding that rhizosphere activity predicts endosphere colonization success.

Genetic variation in host selectivity and adaptive strain enrichment within legume-rhizobia symbiosis: processes are host-dependent, far from perfect, and correlate with nodule morphology

The paper examines host selectivity and adaptive strain enrichment in legume-rhizobia symbiosis, finding host genetic variation affects strain selectivity and nodule morphology correlates with mutualism dynamics.

Rapid adaptation and extinction across climates in synchronized outdoor evolution experiments of Arabidopsis thaliana

This study observes rapid genetic adaptation and population dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana across diverse climates over 5 years, showing predictable adaptation trends linked to survival and extinction risks.

Temperature and host plant ecotype drive nitrogen fixation, but not nodule community composition, in hairy

This study examines how temperature and host plant ecotype affect nitrogen fixation in hairy vetch but finds no impact on nodule-associated Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae community composition.

A Multitrait Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals a Requirement for the Strigolactone Receptor DWARF14 in Optimal GOLVEN10 Signaling

This study identifies a genetic link between strigolactone signaling and GLV10 responsiveness in Medicago truncatula through genome-wide association and mutant analysis.

Identification of candidate genes underlying nodulation-specific phenotypes in Medicago truncatula through integration of genome-wide association studies and co-expression networks

The paper integrates GWAS and co-expression networks to identify candidate genes associated with nodule-related phenotypes in Medicago truncatula.