- Very excited to see our @nikogeldner.bsky.social lab x Feng Zhou lab work featured on the cover of Science! (1/5) We reveal how root architecture and nutrient leakage shape spatial patterns of microbial colonization, moving beyond traditional models of uniform exudation.
- Using precise spatial and temporal analysis, researchers in Science provide insight into how bacteria around the root interact both with the plant and with each other. Learn more in this week's issue: scim.ag/3WgNajk
- (2/5) We show that microbial colonization follows spatial patterns linked to the integrity of the Casparian strip. When the strip is absent or broken—at elongation zones or lateral root emergence sites—glutamine leaks out, attracting microbes and creating colonization hotspots.
- (3/5) Bacterial mutants unable to sense amino acids failed to locate these hotspots. To probe further, we generated a glutamine-inducible bacterial reporter strain, enabling high-resolution mapping of bacterial metabolic states along the root.
- (4/5) These findings highlight the fine-scale heterogeneity of nutrient availability along roots and its role in structuring microbial communities.Oct 2, 2025 22:35
- (5/5) Very happy to share this journey with amazing collaborators! Huge thanks to our close collaborators Feng Zhou and Yuanjie Tang! Thank you Valérie D. T., Jia P., @kathywippel.bsky.social, Jordan V., Christoph K., @tonnigrubeandersen.bsky.social & many others for making this possible!
- Read the paper 👉 Localized glutamine leakage drives the spatial structure of root microbial colonization | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
