By Joey Pitchford
A new study is underscoring the importance of studying microbes in their natural setting, rather than relying solely on laboratory research. Researchers found that a set of corn root bacteria behaved completely differently when grown on the plant rather than in a lab, with thousands of proteins changing when placed in their natural habitat.
“Historically we’ve been reliant on in-vitro experiments and experiments in the lab, and they’re still very powerful,” said Anna Garrell, first author of a paper on the work and a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University. “But I think this is a good reminder that what you find in the lab is not necessarily what’s going to be happening in the real environment.”
For the study, researchers grew seven corn root bacteria both in a lab setting (in vitro) and on the plant (in planta) to measure the differences in their behavior. While all the bacteria acted differently on the plant, the specifics varied from species to species.
“The biggest surprise we found was that all these bacteria interacted with the plant very differently,” said Garrell. “Some, when they got to the root, became more motile and seemed to upregulate functions that would help them move and swim. Others did the exact opposite, where they would attach to the root and become much more stationary. Not all bacteria are made the same, nor do they interact with the plant the same.
Source : ncsu.edu