Angela Kent

About

Angela D. Kent is a Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Grinnell College in 1992, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996 and 2000, respectively. Her academic training in microbial genetics has equipped her to study microbes across diverse ecological settings. Professor Kent's research is driven by a longstanding interest in microbiology and genetics, with a focus on projects that have practical applications to improve environmental management, animal health, and plant productivity. She is fascinated by the myriad ways microbes influence terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, particularly their roles in nutrient cycling and biogeochemical transformations. Utilizing molecular biology tools, her work characterizes the diversity and structure of microbial communities in natural systems and examines how these communities relate to environmental drivers and ecosystem functions. Her research aims to enhance the understanding of microbial ecology to better predict the impacts of human activities on microbial-mediated processes and to apply this knowledge toward improving the health and sustainability of both natural and managed ecosystems. Through her teaching and research, Professor Kent shares her enthusiasm for microbial ecology and its critical role in ecosystem function.

Research topics

• Biology
• Ecology
• Agroforestry
• Biotechnology
• Environmental science
• Agronomy
• Economics
• Natural resource economics
• Genetics

Selected publications

• Maize germplasm chronosequence shows crop breeding history impacts recruitment of the rhizosphere microbiome

  The ISME Journal · 2021 · 98 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Recruitment of microorganisms to the rhizosphere varies among plant genotypes, yet an understanding of whether the microbiome can be altered by selection on the host is relatively unknown. Here, we performed a common garden study to characterize recruitment of rhizosphere microbiome, functional groups, for 20 expired Plant Variety Protection Act maize lines spanning a chronosequence of development from 1949 to 1986. This time frame brackets a series of agronomic innovations, namely improvements…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Micromanaging the nitrogen cycle in agroecosystems

  Trends in Microbiology · 2022 · 69 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  DOI

• Bioenergy Underground: Challenges and opportunities for phenotyping roots and the microbiome for sustainable bioenergy crop production

  The Plant Phenome Journal · 2022 · 24 citations

  Abstract Bioenergy production often focuses on the aboveground feedstock production for conversion to fuel and other materials. However, the belowground component is crucial for soil carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas fluxes, and ecosystem function. Roots maximize feedstock production on marginal lands by acquiring soil resources and mediating soil ecosystem processes through interactions with the microbial community. This belowground world is challenging to observe and quantify; however, ther…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Distinct N-cycling microbial communities contribute to microtopographic variation in soil N2O emissions from denitrification

  Soil Biology and Biochemistry · 2024-12-06 · 16 citations

  articleOpen access

  Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of large precipitation events that flood soils and establish anoxic conditions that promote microbial denitrification, a predominant source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N 2 O, a strong greenhouse gas). Denitrification may be favored within topographic depressions in otherwise flat fields that are prone to ponding, establishing “hotspots” of N 2 O emissions. The location of N 2 O hotspots may also depend on the distribution of soil microbi…

  PublisherDOI

• Genetic variation in Zea mays influences microbial nitrification and denitrification in conventional agroecosystems

  Plant and Soil · 2024-05-18 · 12 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Background and Aims Nitrogenous fertilizers provide a short-lived benefit to crops in agroecosystems, but stimulate nitrification and denitrification, processes that result in nitrate pollution, N 2 O production, and reduced soil fertility. Recent advances in plant microbiome science suggest that genetic variation in plants can modulate the composition and activity of rhizosphere N-cycling microorganisms. Here we attempted to determine whether genetic variation exists in Zea mays for th…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: MO: Forces Driving Microbial Community Diversity and Composition in Humic Lakes

  NSF · $780k · 2007–2013

• DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Effects of phytoplankton on bacterial community structure across varying temperature and light contexts

  NSF · $15k · 2011–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Jeffrey W. Matthews

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  30 shared

• Eric W. Triplett

  University of Florida

  26 shared

• Alonso Favela

  University of Arizona

  23 shared

• Jizhong Zhou

  Tsinghua University

  22 shared

• Wendy H. Yang

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  22 shared

• Ariane L. Peralta

  East Carolina University

  22 shared

• Julie L. Zilles

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  18 shared

• Chris S. Eckley

  Environmental Protection Agency

  18 shared

Education

• PhD, Bacteriology

  University of Wisconsin Madison

  2000

Similar researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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• Michael P. Wardh-66
• Robert J M Hudsonh-56