Sandra Lucia Cortes
PhD: Herbivore-Plant-Soil microbe interactions: who is helping whom
Location: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK.
I am a Colombian researcher focused on sustainable agriculture. I worked for seven years as a technician in the laboratory of Soil Microbiology at the Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research, Agrosavia. My research area involved isolating and testing beneficial bacteria to improve the response of plants to abiotic stresses. Seeing how relevant plant-microbe interactions are for agriculture, I completed a master’s degree in biology with a research project that aimed to understand how these bacteria impact photosynthesis in grasses. I am now moving to biotic stresses and how the soil microbiota can help plants become more resistant to the attack of pests.