Progress 07/01/23 to 06/30/24
Outputs Target Audience:Our goals were to reach the following target audiences, and below each are noted our efforts during this reporting period: Ranchers managing active starthistle invasions. In October of 2023, we conducted a key sampling trip, as planned in this award. This involved working with extension personnel, in direct collaboration with ranchers, to sample their lands for both starthistle (weed) seeds and associated soils. We worked with ranchers to identify collection sites and gather information about land use. We will report back to these same collaborators about our results. The weed science and management communities. Throughout this project we will report results to the scientific and management communities. Year 1 was early for results but we did have lab members presenting at the meeting of the California Invasive Plant Council in Nov 2023 (Anthony Dant) and at conferences in the first summer of the award in 2024 (start of Year 2 - to be included on next report). Early career scientists. During the reporting period, three undergraduate researchers at the University of Arizona joined the project and received training in plant biology, microbiology, and genetics, as well as career mentoring. Graduate student Anthony Dant was mentored to submit his own USDA NIFA EWD predoctoral fellowship in Fall '23 on the landscape genomics of weed establishment, which was awarded to begin on July 1, 2024. Postdoctoral fellow Jessie Pelosi was mentored to submit his own USDA NIFA EWD postdoctoral fellowship in Fall '23 on invasive plant-biocontrol interactions, which was awarded to begin on Sept 1, 2024.? Changes/Problems:We have not encountered major problems in our approach. We did encounter the fortunate 'problem' of two postdoctoral fellows receiving fellowships, in succession, to conduct their own independent work in our lab. To make sure that we can proceed with experiments without further delay, we will have a current outstanding PhD candidate Rebecca Bland in the lab lead the next phase of work as part of her dissertation. We do anticipate requesting a single year of No Cost Extension to accommodate these changes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The original postdoc named on this project, Dr. Mae Berlow, was mentored to submit her own NIFA EWD postdoctoral fellowship, which was awarded with a start in July 2023, a major success for Dr. Berlow. As a result, she did not lead this project, but is conducting related work in the lab group under her fellowship, in particular the development of the microbial culture collection and synthetic communities noted above. Dr. Jessie Pelosi was identified as an outstanding candidate to assume leadership of the project as a postdoc. Due to his PhD graduation date, Dr. Pelosi was able to start in June 2024 (the end of this reporting period, Y1). For this reason, experimental activities were shifted later and we anticipate requesting a No Cost Extension. Further, Dr. Pelosi was mentored to submit his own NIFA EWD postdoctoral fellowship, which was awarded with a start in Sep 2024. This fellowship will allow him to work with our lab on the genomics of interactions between an invasive fern and biocontrol, the focus of his independent research program. This is a major success for Dr. Pelosi, but necessitates another shift in staffing for our project. In light of this, the next phase of the project will be led by PhD candidate in the lab Rebecca Bland, who will focus a major component of her dissertation on this work. Notably, Dr. Pelosi contributed to two papers with our group while supported by this award, before starting his fellowship, including a publication of the starthistle reference genome (see Products). Dr. Pelosi is currently being mentored to apply for faculty jobs and is already receiving interview invitations. PhD candidate Anthony Dant presented research to the California Invasive Plant Council and was mentored to submit his own USDA NIFA EWD predoctoral fellowship in Fall '23 on the landscape genomics of weed establishment, which was awarded with a start of July 1, 2024. In addition, three undergraduates have been involved in the project in Y1, gaining training in plant biology, microbiology, and genetics. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This is the first year of the project, but we have successfully established collaborations and presented work at conferences as planned (see Target Audiences). In addition, the project has supported participants to contribute to completing related work, resulting in three publications (see Products). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue the project as planned, with a particular focus on completing the Goal 2 microbially-mediated competition experiment and launching the Goal 3-6 GWAS experiment. We also hope to begin utilizing the synthetic microbial communities under development.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Collaborations with rangeland managers with active YST infestations We are on track to meet all objectives under this goal, having established collaborations, identified field sites, and obtained samples per our project design. We look forward to sharing results with our collaborators as our data become available. Goal 2: Microbial effects on YST competition with forage We have delayed this experiment one year due to postdoctoral staffing changes (see Training and Professional Development section below). We expect to utilize a No Cost Extension to accommodate these changes. In the meantime, we have been developing a collection of starthistle-associated bacteria and fungi in culture that will allow us the opportunity to utilize synthetic microbial associations in future experiments. This development will improve our experimental control of microbial communities, ability to isolate the effects of taxa on plant performance, and move quickly to potential applications as biocontrol. Goal 3-6 Relate to the GWAS experiment that is planned for next year. Our current activities and preparations are preparing us to conduct this experiment and its associated analyses as planned. Goal 7: Communication of findings to multiple audiences We are on track with communications as planned (please see Target Audiences section) Goal 8: Mentorship of early career scientists We are on track with our goals to train undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. Please see the next section on Training and Professional Development.
Publications
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Berlow, M., Mesa, M., Creek, M. et al. Plant G?ΓΏ?Microbial E: Plant Genotype Interaction with Soil Bacterial Community Shapes Rhizosphere Composition During Invasion. Microb Ecol 87, 113 (2024)
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Bryan Reatini, Jessie A Pelosi, F Alice Cang, Qiuyu Jiang, Michael T W McKibben, Michael S Barker, Loren H Rieseberg, Katrina M Dlugosch, Chromosome-scale Reference Genome and RAD-based Genetic Map of Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) Reveal Putative Structural Variation and QTL Associated With Invader Traits, Genome Biology and Evolution, Volume 16, Issue 12, December 2024, evae243
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Chromosome-scale reference genome of Pectocarya recurvata, a species with the smallest reported genome size in Boraginaceae. Poppy C. Northing, Jessie A. Pelosi, D. Lawrence Venable, Katrina M. Dlugosch. Applications in Plant Sciences, In Press.
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