Dr Jian Feng

Jian is interested in how plants work together with beneficial microbes to acquire nutrients more efficiently and cope with environmental stress. Using crops such as Medicago truncatula and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as model systems, his research explores how plant roots communicate with growth-promoting soil bacteria and how these interactions improve nutrient uptake and resilience under challenging conditions. By identifying key factors that control nutrient efficiency and environmental robustness, his work aims to provide a scientific foundation for developing “environment-smart” crops that require fewer inputs while maintaining high productivity.