Measuring the effects of oil on the Spartina alterniflora root transcriptome and soil microbiome
These sequences are from a growth chamber experiment in which we examined the variability of the Spartina alterniflora root transcriptome response and the soil microbial community to oil residues in the environment. We manipulated a homogenous salt marsh soil, from a single source, to yield two soils that were slightly different in soil chemistry and microbial community. We then exposed these soils to identical amounts of oil residues to test the degree to which the response of the root transcriptome and soil microbiome depended on initial soil conditions. The experiment consisted of a full-factorial design with two treatments of two levels each: (1) whether soil had been autoclaved or not and (2) the inclusion of weathered oil in the soil or not. We grew the plant, from surface-sterilized seed, for four months. At the end of the experiment, we sequenced three replicates for root transcriptomics, soil 16S (V4 - prokaryote) communities and soil ITS1 (fungal) communities for each combination of treatments. We also sequenced 2 replicates for both communities from soil samples taken at the beginning of the experiment.