The results of our field study of the impact of different Methylobacterium strains on their host rice landraces (traditionally cultivated rice varieties from Manipur) are out! We find that strains show host-specific effects (beneficial or deleterious). Though the mechanisms remain unclear still, it is clear that there is enormous potential to use beneficial host-bacterial interactions for agricultural applications. Many aspects of this work were new to us, so there was a steep learning curve. This was a massive effort led by Pratibha, in collaboration with PV Shivaprasad and with support from a large support team in the field and in the lab. Read the paper to find our more!
AdaptationLab 