Dr TIM MAUCHLINE

BIOGRAPHY

Tim is a molecular microbiologist. He uses traditional microbiology, molecular biology and next generation sequencing in his research. He has spent his entire research career studying microbial interactions in the plant root environment. He is interested in the ecology of microbial communities in cropping systems, especially the process of niche occupation in plants (including the rhizosphere and endosphere), primarily from the bulk soil. The aim is to understand the function and potential of plant-associated microbes for nutrient cycling, plant stress tolerance and disease suppression. His ultimate goal is to maximise the contribution of microbes for the development of sustainable agricultural systems. Recently, his research has focused on factors that shape the wheat root microbiome and, in turn, the role of the microbiome; it has also involved exemplar community members, such as fluorescent Pseudomonads, for the protection of plants against take-all disease of wheat.