Research

The Belin Lab is a team of microbiologists who study the biology of rhizobia, soil bacteria with the capacity to convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into plant-fertilizing ammonia. Rhizobia form intricate symbioses with legumes including soybean, alfalfa, pea, and clover, serving as sustainable alternatives to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. The Belin Lab uses quantitative cell biology approaches to characterize rhizobial molecules that drive productive symbiosis.