During her PhD studies, Christine Lorenzen Elberg researched the predator-prey interactions between protist and bacteria in the wheat rhizosphere. These interactions play an important role in the plant health of agricultural crops though the improvement of nutrient cycling and production of volatiles. Christine Lorenzen Elberg studied the protist and bacterial diversity of soil from four different wheat varieties using 18S rRNA sequencing. Additionally, a protist culture collection was established for observing prey selection and VOC production.

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of how protist community composition is influenced by soil rhizocompartments and wheat variety. Additionally, this research explores the protist prey selection and the volatile production by soil microorganisms during predator-prey interactions.

The PhD study was completed at Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Friday, 20 September 2024 at 10.00
Place: Building 7410 Roskilde Campus, room A1.20, Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde
Title of PhD thesis: The predator-prey interactions between protists and bacteria in the wheat rhizosphere
Contact information: Christine Lorenzen Elberg, e-mail: cle@envs.au.dk, tel.: +45 28738347

Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Anders Priemé, Department of Biologi, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Senior Researcher Enrique Lara Pandi, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Spain

Senior Researcher Niels Bohse Hendriksen (chair), Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark

Main supervisor:
Professor Anne Winding, Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark

Co-supervisor:
Associate Professor Rumakanta Sapkota, Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.