10/17/2014

Rooting Out the Plant Microbiome

11:43 minutes

The human microbiome has been linked to anxiety, obesity, and other problems related to humans’ health, but we aren’t the only organisms that have a complex relationship with bacteria—plants do, too. Biologist Jeanne Romero-Severson discusses how plants might pack bacteria into their seeds for defense and how we can rethink farming’s future, with the plant microbiome in mind.

Segment Guests

Jeanne Romero-Severson

Meet the Producer

About Alexa Lim

Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.