Provost’s Colloquium Series Presents “Lessons From Plants and Their Symbiotic Friendship”

Zhang and Week

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on January 25, 2023, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University’s Provost’s Colloquium Series, an intellectual experience that promotes dialogue among ESU faculty, staff, students, and community, opens the Spring 2023 semester with a presentation by Shiqi Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences and Kristopher Weeks, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication. The presentation, “Lessons from Plants and Their Symbiotic Friendship”, will take place on Wednesday, February 8, at 5:30 p.m. in Beers Lecture Hall. The presentation will also be live streamed on the ESU Live Events webpage.

The presenters will discuss the symbiotic relationship established by plants and fungi and elevate the phenomenon to human connections. The talk will be based on an ancient, but widespread, phenomenon called arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. It is established between flowering plants and AM fungi. The fungi grow inside plant roots and provide plants with mineral nutrients that are inaccessible to plants and the exchange of carbon is provided by plants. The nutrients provided through this 400 million-year-old friendship now nourish nearly 80% of flowering plants.

“It’s amazing how important AM symbiosis is, but most people are not aware of it. It’s very likely that the vegetables you buy from grocery stores contain the mineral nutrient delivered by AM fungi. This phenomenon is everywhere,” Dr. Zhang stated. The nutrient exchange must be in a steady state to benefit both parties. Considering the ever-changing environment they live in, if the balance is tilting toward one party, the other party would quickly sense it and decide whether it should stop the supply.

It is an interesting relationship to study for a biologist, and others, since the strategies plant and fungi use are applicable to human relationships. “These brainless organisms do not make ego-involved decisions. By looking at how plants make survival decisions, it becomes clear that human ego prevents humans from making productive and rational decisions,” Dr. Weeks said. “By better appreciating how plants make decisions, we can reflect how we can be more aware of our situations and make the right decision.”

For more information about the Provost’s Colloquium Series, contact Christina McDonald, director, office of sponsored projects and research, at (570) 422-7954 or cmcdonald9@esu.edu.