Research Grant
[Cite as http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160102684]Researchers: Jonathan Plett (Chief Investigator) , Prof Ian Anderson (Chief Investigator) , Francis MARTIN (Partner Investigator)
Brief description Characterising controls of carbon flow from trees into mycorrhizal fungi. This project aims to improve our understanding of below-ground carbon sequestration. A significant portion of plant photosynthate is shuttled to root-associated mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi in forest ecosystems. Therefore, fungal partners of forest trees are valuable carbon sinks. One problem impeding below-ground carbon accounting in forest soils is a lack of understanding concerning the genetic control of how photosynthetically fixed sugars are passed to root-associated microbes. This project aims to identify and characterise the sugar transporters that shuttle carbon in ectomycorrhizal plant–fungal interactions and investigate how these are affected by elevated carbon dioxide. It may also identify isolates of mutualistic fungi that could be paired with eucalypt hosts to maximise carbon sequestration and forest productivity.
Funding Amount $371,100
Funding Scheme Discovery Projects
- ARC : DP160102684
- PURL : http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160102684
