Grad student Spotlight: Advancing Long-Term Agricultural Microbiome Science
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EmailAshlyn Morin (Bonito lab) was awarded the PSM Graduate Assistantship and the Carter Harrison award this year.
This week we meet PhD student Ashlyn Morin (Bonito lab) who was awarded the PSM Graduate Assistantship and the Carter Harrison award this year. Ashlynn says the money will be well spent on her research that is deepening our understanding of how soil microbial communities respond to long-term agricultural management.
This funding is helping me complete the remaining analyses for the rotation paper, refine the figures and results, and set aside the focused time I need to write and submit the manuscript. It will also support the initial steps for my next dissertation chapter so I can transition into that work without losing momentum.
The work is not insignificant. The current phase of the project focuses on a full crop rotation—soybean, wheat, and corn—within the KBS LTER system, drawing from an extensive eleven-year microbiome dataset. With more than twenty-four years of continuous management at these plots, the work provides rare insight into how fungal and bacterial communities assemble and shift over time. Using amplicon sequencing, the study tracks microbial dynamics across crops, growth stages, and management regimes, identifying stable taxa, responsive and opportunistic organisms, and groups potentially linked to plant health or disease. Funding is supporting the completion of the rotation-focused analyses, refinement of figures, and preparation of the resulting manuscript.
Next, the project will scale up to the full eleven-year dataset to examine how long-term environmental variables—such as temperature, precipitation, and soil characteristics—interact with agricultural practices. This broader view aims to reveal how climate variation and management shape microbial communities at larger temporal scales, ultimately supporting more sustainable and informed farming decisions.
About Ashlynn:
Originally from Northwest Indiana and inspired early by the ecosystems of the Indiana Dunes, Ashlynn discovered a passion for mycology during undergraduate studies. After internships with the Indiana Dunes National Park and continued research experience, joined the Bonito Lab in 2022. Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring Michigan with her husband, visiting local farms, and sampling the state’s vibrant food and beverage scene—or chillin at home with two energetic cats.
