Rasmus Kjøller

Rasmus Kjøller

Associate Professor

Current research

Current projects

Matrix
Ensuring sustainable food production for a still growing world population while at the same time minimize the use of pesticides in agricultural production systems is an intriguing challenge. In the Matrix project (Microbiome Assisted Triticum Resilience in X-dimension) we explore the potential of the indigenous wheat microbiome which focus on the phyllosphere to provide health and sustainable growth of wheat.

We test the microbial interactions among the microbiome constituents, the microbiome-plant interactions as well as the potential of the microbiome to combat common fungal diseases and mitigate drought stress. We also map the genomic and metabolic diversity among our isolated strains and all data are modelled in deep learning neural networks.

The end goal is to provide either management regimes or apply specifically designed and safe SynComs for improved plant health. The project is a large collaborative project with multiple partners from UCPH, DTU, NIOO (Netherlands) and North Caroline State University.


Aggregate

Soil provides multiple ecosystem services to humans of course as being the fundamental basis for agricultural food production but also by storing carbon and providing clean drinking water. Soil aggregation correlates with SOM content, aeration and soil biodiversity. A healthy and fertile soil is well aggregated. Soil aggregation is a process where soil minerals and organic matter is enmeshed into a biological web including fungal hyphae and a matrix exuded by microbes.

In Aggregate we wish to determine which soil biota are most important for the soil aggregation process across a range of different Danish soils with focus on fungal activity and hyphae. We also want to pinpoint potential troubles for the aggregation process - in specific of pesticides. The two together will provide recommendations towards managing our agricultural soil resources in a sustainable way.     

A sister project is Aggregate is Aarhus University based GENEPEASE II which further deepens our understanding of pesticide effects on essential soil functions and organisms.  

A long-term focus within our research portfolio is community-, molecular- and functional ecology of mycorrhizal fungi. Currently, we study:

1) The development of ectomycorrhizal fungal abundance, community composition and function in forests with different fertility

2) Common mycelial network between plants

3) The use of soil inocula to restore grassland ecosystems

4) Primary succession of fungal communities with emphasis on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

5) The use of eDNA and fungal sequence data for biodiversity assessments

Selected publications

  1. Published

    Dramatic changes in ectomycorrhizal community composition, root tip abundance and mycelial production along a stand-scale nitrogen deposition gradient

    Kjøller, Rasmus, Nilsson, L. O., Hansen, K., Schmidt, Inger Kappel, Vesterdal, Lars & Gundersen, Per, 2012, In: New Phytologist. 194, 1, p. 278-286 9 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  2. Published

    454-sequencing reveals stochastic local reassembly and high disturbance tolerance within arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities

    Lekberg, K. Y. M., Schnoor, T., Kjøller, Rasmus, Gibbons, S. M., Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg, Abu Al-Soud, W., Sørensen, Søren Johannes & Rosendahl, Søren, 2012, In: Journal of Ecology. 100, 1, p. 151-160 10 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

ID: 12624