Jonelle Basso is a Research Scientist in the plant-microbe interactions group at the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
What microbiome-related work do you do?
I am a microbial ecologist with research currently focused on plant-microbe interactions. My latest work explores the interactions of viruses with plant microbiomes in the rhizosphere (the microenvironment at the interface of roots and soil). I use well-studied bacterial strains, such as Pseudomonas simiae WCS417, that can provide benefits to plants. Viruses are ubiquitous, outnumbering all other biological entities on the planet, yet they are remarkably understudied in the rhizosphere. In fact, we have observed that viruses infecting such bacteria (bacteriophages) can be integrated into bacterial genomes (prophages) and may bring about metabolic changes to their bacterial host. Specifically, I am currently investigating the quantitative impact of phage genes on root colonization and the molecular underpinnings of a presumptive plant-bacterial-phage interaction. To better understand this phenomenon, we are using a loss of function approach to generate fluorescently-labeled phage gene deletion mutants and subsequently conduct experimental characterization studies such as root colonization assays and phenotypic comparative assessments. Through a coupled experimental and computational approach, my team and I aim to determine and predict how the soil virome affects ecological functions in soil and modulates nutrient cycling.
For those interested in your work, could you suggest one key reading from your recent papers?
As a graduate student working with Dr. Alison Buchan, I aimed to elucidate how prophages influence their associated lysogens (bacteria with viruses integrated into their genome) in marine systems. We showed that these resident phages have the ability to alter gene function and host fitness. I have applied much of what I’ve learned in marine systems and applied them to terrestrial ecosystems and so I would recommend reading this work that was published in ISMEJ (Basso et al. 2020). Look out for exciting findings to come from my current research topic!
Learn more about Jonelle at her LBNL Biosciences profile.