Know thy neighbor

Ample evidence shows that plants recognize their neighbor plants and that they may increase or decrease their competitive growth toward them depending on the neighbors’ genetic identity. Plant roots exudates are likely instrumental in mediating this response, and it is suggested that roots are critical in sensing and integrating signals that allow plants to perform some elaborate responses to the neighbor's presence and its identity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. The project KNOWN aims to bring to light the belowground mechanisms that mediate neighbor perception, recognition, and cooperation in conspecific interactions. Decoding these interactions is ultimately important to understand how cooperative traits evolve in plants and what mechanisms mediate their coexistence in natural communities