Reprogramming plant development with microbial organic volatile compounds for sustainable food production

There is an urgent need for intensive plant growth methods minimizing the input of nutrients, energy and chemicals while ensuring a high productivity. This project will discover novel bacterial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to improve plant growth and protection against biotic (pathogen) stress under natural (greenhouse) conditions. In addition, the underlying mechanisms of action of VOCs will be explored, especially related to nutrient assimilation and hormone cascade pathways using advanced high throughput molecular techniques. Hence, the main objective of the project is to explore the potential of microbial-derived VOCs as a biotechnology tool to improve plant development under greenhouse conditions. The multidisciplinary nature of the project is strong, involving a combination of well-developed microbiology, biochemistry, and plant pathology and physiology. This proposal includes both the transfer of knowledge to the host institution and the training of the candidate in new advanced techniques. The innovative results of this study will attain not only high impact on the scientific community, farmers and general public, but will also be a step forward towards the commercialization of the cost effective and eco-friendly biomolecules to improve plant health.