Microbiomes Research

Choudoir Lab’s applied soil microbiome extension research program relates to climate change resiliency and adaptation by examining how soil microbiomes in agricultural systems respond to long-term management practices, environmental variability, and disturbances such as extreme climate events and flooding. By analyzing changes in microbial community composition, functional genes, and their links to ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions, the project seeks to understand how these microbial systems contribute to soil and plant health under changing conditions. The work also highlights how maintaining and optimizing beneficial microbiome functions could support sustainable agriculture and food systems in the context of climate change, while addressing threats to soil biodiversity caused by intensive agriculture and shifting environmental conditions.