Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
Faculty Advisor: Jo Handelsman
Resume
Dr. Julia Nepper’s research is focused on omics analysis of the role of antibiotics in community signaling. THOR (the hitchhikers of the rhizosphere) is a model system for studying microbial communities recently established in the Handelsman lab. THOR is composed of three common soil bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas koreensis, and Flavobacterium johnsoniae. These organisms are all genetically tractable, with sequenced genomes, and we have copious knowledge of their metabolomes and behaviors in the lab and field. Dr. Nepper will analyze the role of signal molecules produced by B. cereus in the enhancement of P. koreensis biofilm production.