Alice Lieu, PhD

Projects

• Multiscale modeling with evolving microstructure: An approach to emergence in the rhizosphere via effective soil functions

  
  (Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)
  Overall project: DFG Priority Programme 2089 “Rhizosphere Spatiotemporal Organisation – a Key to Rhizosphere Functions”
  Term: 01-02-2019 - 31-01-2022
  Funding source: DFG / Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP)
  URL: https://www.ufz.de/spp-rhizosphere/index.php?en=46495
  Abstract

  The self-organization of the aggregates in the rhizosphere by various
  attracting forces influenced by geochemistry, and microbiology shall
  be studied by a novel, comprehensive model. This model should
  account for processes on the microscale (single roots, pore scale),
  and then be upscaled to the root system scale (macroscale) by
  mathematical homogenization. This goal exceeds the functional range
  of existing models for aggregation and needs the introduction of an
  explicit phase of mucilage, and attachment properties of root hairs in
  the rhizosheath. The project aims at the development of a mechanistic modeling approach that allows for dynamic structural reorganization of the rhizosphere at the single root scale and couples this evolving microscale model to the root system scale including the inference of soil functions. This means that we do not assume a static rhizosphere but develop a tool that is capable to dynamically track this zone on the basis of the underlying spatiotemporal aggregegate formation and geochemical patterns. The collaboration with experimental groups – analyzing CT images in various moisture and growth conditions - the Central Experiment will allow to derive the properties of the mucilage phase, the pore structure and thus the
  influence of root hairs on aggregation mechanisms.
  

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Publications