Staff profile
| Affiliation | Telephone |
|---|---|
| Assistant Professor in the Department of Biosciences |
Biography
Jeongmin received her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Seoul National University in South Korea, where she studied plant genomics. She then moved to the University of Missouri, USA, for her PhD in Plant and Microbial Sciences. Her interest in crop improvement led her to the University of Cambridge, where she investigated arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis as an EMBO Long-term Fellow and a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow. She started her independent group as a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the Crop Science Centre in Cambridge before she moved her lab to Durham University.
Research Interests
Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is a mutually beneficial association between plants and soil fungi belonging to the phylum Glomeromycota. Bidirectional nutrient exchange is central to the symbiosis. The fungi function as extended roots by extracting mineral nutrients beyond the root zone and delivering them to plants. In return, plants supply the fungi with lipids and carbohydrates from photosynthesis to promote fungal growth and reproduction.
Fossil records date origins of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis back approximately 450 million years ago and strongly suggest it played an instrumental role in the adaptation of early plants during the transition from water to land. Today, approximately 80% of land plants, including many important crops, still form this partnership. Indeed, the symbiosis continues to provide resilience to plants by protecting them from harsh environments and pathogen attack, and contributes to soil health.
As we confront the challenges associated with climate change, understanding how arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis shapes plant responses to environmental stresses and contributes to plant resilience offers an exciting opportunity to improve crop performance.
By combining genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology, we aim to dissect the signalling networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and its relationship with other plant stress response pathways. In the long term, we envision translating this fundamental knowledge into modern agriculture to harness the benefits of the symbiosis for more sustainable and resilient food production.
How do environmental factors affect arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is a highly dynamic and regulated process. Environmental factors, such as soil nutrient levels and water content, impact the establishment and function of this beneficial interaction. Therefore, understanding how these conditions regulate the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is important for utilising this symbiotic relationship across a broad range of agricultural and ecological environments.
How does arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis improve crop resilience?
We are interested in identifying genetic factors that enhance the tolerance response during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. In addition, our new project investigates the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in soil health and its underlying mechanisms as part of the multidisciplinary team of Durham’s Living Soils Programme (https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/current/strategic-research-fund/living-soils-team/).
Websites
The Living Soils Programme: https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/current/strategic-research-fund/living-soils-team/
Plant Symbiosis outreach: https://www.plantsymbiosis.com/
Job opportunity
Research technician
PhD studentship
Postdoctoral research associate
To be available in early 2027