Characterization of plant beneficial bacteria and their extracellular vesicles

Plant beneficial bacteria (PBBs) are increasingly recognized as a key part of the ecosystem, helping plants by improving nutrient uptake, disposing of waste products, and protecting against pathogens.  In particular, the root-associated microbiome is thought to be as important for plant health as the gut microbiome is for human health.
In our project, we have collected samples (root, tubers and rhizospheric soil) from potato production areas all over Türkiye.  Our aim is to identify beneficial bacteria that are uniquely involved in fixation and uptake of nitrogen, which is the major limiting factor during vegetative growth of potato plants.  We also hypothesize the these bacteria produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) that may have a critical role in plant-microbiome interactions.  Our aim is to identify bacterial strains and/or EVs that could be included in bio-fertilizer treatments to support sustainable potato agriculture, while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.
As this is an ongoing study, the precise work to be done during the PURE programme will depend on progress through the project objectives, but will include one or more of the following:
i) Measuring nitrogen fixation of bacterial isolates in planta. 
ii) Using bioinformatics and network analysis to define and make functional predictions about the microbiome community, based on metagenome sequencing data.
iii) Production, purification and molecular characterization of extracellular vesicles from selected bacterial strains.
Therefore, steps i) & iii) above would be suitabal for students with some experience in microbiology and molecular biology who are interested in further developing their skills.
Step ii) will be primarily computational and will require a solid background in using Linux/Unix systems and writing scripts (Bash, Python etc) as well as some background in biology.