Research
Elucidating the chemical basis of plant-microbe interactions and chemical ecology of plant-associated microbial consortia is the research focus of chemical microbiology group. This covers biosynthesis of ecologically-, biologically-, and/or pharmaceutically-relevant compounds and their precursors via plant-associated endophytic microbes. We employ state-of-the-art bioanalytical tools such as GC-MS, LC-MS, LC-HRMS, and LC-HRMSn as well as imaging mass spectrometry in high spatial/temporal resolution (MALDI-HRMS imaging) to elucidate the functional traits of endophytic microorganisms. The combination of metabolomics with imaging and other chemical-microbiological tools holistically elucidates the chemistry of microbial interactions for implications in biotechnology as well as agriculture (e.g., natural product drug discovery, biologics, biocontrol agents, and crop protection).