Leslie Shor

Professor

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Professor Shor conducts research in microbial processes. Her research in microbial processes has found that this may help regulate the rate and extent of water loss from soils. Her project aims to better understand the potential of microbes to promote resiliency in terrestrial ecosystems. We are developing a multifunctional in situ platform linking gene expression to overall system function in a physically realistic emulated soil microenvironment. This project will develop novel optogenetic tools to place the genes of soil microbes under the control of light and enable microscale spatiotemporal control of microbial genetic capabilities in situ, and build systems-level understanding of the microbial water-regulating function through pore-scale and root-scale mathematical modeling.