Research in the Igwe Lab generally focuses on at least one of three topics: Life in Extreme Environments, Microbiome-Based Horticultural and Agricultural Improvements, or Soil Conservation, Remediation, and Regeneration.

We use a range of tools from ecology, microbiology, and molecular biology to answer fundamental questions about how organisms exist in otherwise inhospitable habitats and apply that knowledge to improve the health of people and the planet.

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Recent projects have focused on plant and microbial adaptations to serpentine soil. This soil contains large amounts of heavy metals and magnesium and lacks essential plant nutrients. Plant productivity on this soil is generally poor, but there are some organisms that not only survive, but thrive in this environment.

Our works aims to understand how microbes assist with a plant’s ability to tolerate edaphic conditions presented by serpentine soils.

We are interested in collaborating with plant physiologists, chemical ecologists, and others who can complement this work.

Current projects focus on how plant growth-growth-promoting microbes contribute to rhizosphere microbial community homeostasis under stress conditions and how this knowledge can be used to improve stress tolerance and crop yield, particularly in Ipomoea batatas, sweet potatoes.

We are interested in collaborating with urban farmers, geneticists, and synthetic biologists and other who can complement this work.

We are generally interested in how microbial amendments can improve soil aggregation and water-holding capacity. Additional work will investigate how plant-microbial systems can be utilized to reduce soil salinization.