Plants and Microbes

Catalog description

Plants are sedentary organisms, weathering drastic changes across seasons while anchored to the same patch of earth. Like all living things, plants are surrounded by (and harbor) various microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, protists) that form unique communities and interact with the plant host. This course introduces the concept of plant-microbe interactions from mutualism to pathogens. The course explores how plants and microbes have co-evolved over time and the impact of climate change on plant-microbe interactions. Students should take this course if they are interested in microbial ecology and in preparation for upper-level plant pathology, virology, mycology, and plant-microbe interactions courses.