Joel Franklin Swift


Joel Swift
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Wagner Lab

Education

A.A., State Fair Community College, 2012
B.S. in Integrative Biology, University of Central Missouri, 2014
Ph.D. in Biology, St. Louis University, 2022

Research

Joel is interested in plant-microbe interactions, especially those with applicable benefits to agriculture. His dissertation focused on exploring genomic interactions and their impact on the microbiome of grafted grapevines. Within the Wagner lab, his research seeks to assess the ability of host-associated microorganisms and microbiomes to alleviate drought stress in maize. Using soils collected across a precipitation gradient in Kansas, he hopes to understand soil legacy effects on maize drought tolerance and assemble a large culture collection for future bioprospecting and comparative genomics.