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Project properties |
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| Title | Investigating the impact of long-term seed storage in seed banks on the seed microbiome |
| Group | Plant Physiology, Laboratory of |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 30-39 |
| Supervisor(s) | Patricija Gran, Erik Wijnker (daily) |
| Examiner(s) | Leonie Bentsink |
| Contact info | patricija.gran@wur.nl AND thesis.pph@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2025/06/01 |
| End date | 2025/12/01 |
| Description | Introduction:
Seed banks play a crucial role in preserving plant genetic diversity, yet the impact of long-term storage on seed-associated microbial communities remains poorly understood. Microbes, both epiphytic and endophytic, can influence seed vigor, germination, and plant stress resilience. This project aims to explore whether seed storage conditions affect the survival and composition of microbial communities and evaluate their implications for seed health and regeneration of potato and/or wheat seeds. Research questions: 1. How does long-term storage impact the viability and diversity of the seed microbiome (epiphytes vs. endophytes)? 2. Do genebank accessions retain a viable microbiome, and how does this microbiome change during storage or regeneration? 3. Can genebanks serve as a source of beneficial seed-associated microbes? 4. What are the potential implications of seed-associated microbiomes for researchers, users, and genebank managers? This project will contribute valuable knowledge to seed microbiome research and may inform future strategies for maintaining beneficial microbes in genebanks. |
| Used skills | microbial extraction, DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, pcr, data analysis, literature review, experimental design, statistical analysis, scientific writing, data visualization, presentation skills. |
| Requirements | Strong statistical analysis skills (R)
Passed the Seed Science and Technology course exam Proficient in English |