Sphere of influence: Insect herbivory and plant defense signaling shaping rhizosphere microbiomes in Brassicaceae

In this PhD project we explored how plants interact with the invisible world of microbes living around their roots, and how these interactions change when plants are attacked by insects. Using white cabbage and some of their relatives such as mustard and Arabidopsis, we showed that plants under attack by caterpillars or aphids harboured distinct communities of bacteria and fungi in their root zone, suggesting that different types of stress shape the root microbiome in different ways. 
These shifts can influence plant growth and resilience to future stress. The findings reveal a hidden link between aboveground insect attack and belowground microbial life.
Understanding these connections matters for agriculture: it opens new possibilities to improve crop resilience in sustainable ways, for example, by harnessing beneficial microbes or by better predicting how plants respond to stress in the field.