COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS

COFFEE RESEARCH: Developing biological control of coffee pathogens

We are conducting a comprehensive study of the microbiome (bacteria and fungi) of the coffee tree (Coffea arabica) to understand temporal and spatial dynamics of plant microbial communities and factors that likely affect these dynamics: host genetics, soil type, ecosystem management, locality, and climate. This will provide us with:

• An understanding of species interactions among members of these microbial communities and with their hosts and environment

• The shifts in relative abundances of different taxa (with different roles) through time in different host tissues

• The net effects these shifts may have on their host health, physiology and productivity.

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THE CACAO POD MICROBIOME PROJECT

THE MICROBIAL BIOBANK OF PANAMA

MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN MANGROVES OF THE PANAMA BAY