This VIPR team will introduce 10 undergraduates to an ancient symbiosis between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and most vascular land plants in the world. The AMF live in root cells to provide Nitrogen and Phosphorous to the plant in return for plant carbon. Students will use a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) to capture AMF in root samples from the field. They will use a robotic microscope to image over 15 Terabytes (Tb) of fungal structures in GWAS root samples, and develop deep learning tools on the 15 Tb of root images to identify plant genes controlling the AMF symbiosis.
Team Leads: Jonathan Arnold (Institute of Bioinformatics)
