My research explores how plants respond to their underground fungal partners. I study Medicago lupulina to understand whether plants differ genetically in how much they benefit from arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and how this response changes with nutrient availability. By connecting plant growth, root traits, and fungal interactions, my work asks how variation in these hidden relationships could shape the evolution of plant–microbe partnerships.


 

Pot mesocosms containing common plants found in Ontario grasslands and Medicago lupulina as focal plants growing in cone-tainers placed in the pots. The pots are in the phytotron at the University of Guelph.