Michael Grillo, Ph.D.
Loyola University
Michael Grillo, Ph.D.
Michael is an Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago. The goal of his research is to understand how plants adapt to their environment and how this information can be used to enhance the preservation of biodiversity. Michael earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University and then received a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further his training at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At Loyola, Michael has been very involved in training the next generation of STEM teachers. He has a grant from NSF to provide research experiences to pre-service science teachers focusing on urban biodiversity. Michael lives in Chicago and enjoys spending time outside.
Project Summary
Harnessing Native Plant Microbiomes to Enhance the Restoration of Biodiversity in the Chicago Region
Illinois is renowned as the Prairie State. However, today less than 0.1% of Illinois’ native prairie remains. Thus, prairie restoration is a major conservation priority in the Chicago region. One of the major challenges facing restoration is that restored communities do not harbor the same level of biodiversity as native remnant prairies. This proposal seeks to assess the role of key plant microbiome interactions in remnant and restored communities and how microbiome inoculations can enhance native plant diversity in restored habitats. For this work, Michael will integrate greenhouse experiments with field studies in the local forest preserves and provide research experiences for Chicago Public School teachers.
