Molecular tools to characterise plant-associated bacterial communities in soils naturally enriched or contaminated with trace metals

Abstract

The thesis focuses on the (1) characterisation and comparison of the bacterial communities associated with Ni-hyperaccumulating and metal-excluding plants growing in ultramafic soils naturally enriched in TE and (2) analysis of bacterial communities in soils contaminated with TE and treated with phytoremediation strategies. The work planned aimed to obtain information about bacteria potentially involved in the mechanisms of TE (hyper)accumulation and/or exclusion and to study the relationships between the bacterial communities and the changes induced in soil properties by phytomanagement.