Amali Thrimawithana
e-mail: Amali.Thrimawithana@plantandfood.co.nz
Supervisors: Maren Wellenreuther, David Chagne
A hologenomic approach to unravel the role of the microbiome in helping species to adjust to changing landscapes & seascapes
The main objective of this PhD project is to explore the role of the microbiome in terrestrial and aquatic organisms subjected to changing climates. The project will explore geographic differences in climate as a proxy for climate change with two model systems: (1) a land plant, mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium), and (2) a marine fish species, tāmure/Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus). This project will apply a meta-omics approach to comprehensively investigate microbial consortia within these species and examine the potential functional roles they play in adapting to a changing climate, through exploring the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. Furthermore, the PhD will build upon our preliminary effort to explore the microbiome with mānuka as user case, supported through two funded programmes, one internally funded by The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), completed in June 2020, as well as an MBIE Endeavour project led by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research (the Honey Landscape).
