A Microbiome Approach for Healthy Soils – Lessons Learned from Across the Globe

Dr Eleonora Egidi

Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, WSU

Dr Egidi joined HIE in 2018 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow following an international search for a microbial ecologist to lead a Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE) funded project “A novel framework to identify, predict and improve efficiency of bioremediation technology”.

In 2020, Dr Egidi was awarded an ARC DECRA fellowship for the project “Small but bold: harnessing microbes to boost drought tolerance in grasses”. The project focusses on identifying the key microbial functions that contribute to grass tolerance to drought. The research involves controlled microcosms and field surveys to identify those microbial taxa that drive drought-survival traits in grasses. This program integrates molecular techniques, soil biochemistry, ecophysiology, and spatial ecology to (i) characterise microbial acquisition patterns by plants with different drought survival traits and (ii) identify microbiome-driven plant traits that provide benefits to grasses under drought.

Dr Hang-Wei Hu

The University of Melbourne

Dr Hu is a soil molecular microbial ecologist with research interests broadly defined within the areas of soil biology and health, plant-microbe interactions, and environmental microbiology. Dr Hu has taken advantage of rapidly improving high-throughput sequencing approaches to answer important ecological questions regarding soil/plant microbiome composition and diversity, soil biogeochemical N cycling processes and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in plant-soil systems. Dr Hu has published >200 articles in international journals which have attracted >13,000 citations (Google Scholar), with an H-index of 59. He was named in the Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher list 2021, 2022 and 2023 under the categories of "Cross-Field" and "Agricultural Sciences".

Dr John Parnell

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Dr John Parnell is a renowned expert in sustainable agriculture and soil health at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). With a career focused on enhancing global food security, Dr. Parnell has led multiple international projects that integrate microbiological processes into sustainable farming practices. His work highlights the vital role of microbiomes in improving soil fertility and plant health, aiming to transform agricultural practices worldwide to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious. Dr. Parnell's contributions to soil science and his dedication to applying microbiology to agricultural challenges establish him as a leading authority in sustainable crop production.

Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh

Western Sydney University

Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh is an internationally recognised expert in the field of functional ecology and soil biology. Through his fundamental research, his work identifies the quantitative relationships between soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions and how natural/anthropogenic pressures such as global change affect this. His applied research harnesses the knowledge gained in fundamental research to achieve increased farm productivity, sustainable development, environmental protection and food security.

His research has advanced critical areas of ecosystem science, particularly linking soil biodiversity (microbial and faunal) to key ecosystem functions and services and has developed tools to improve farm productivity and environmental sustainability. This includes climate adaptation tools for the agriculture industry, management solutions to increase soil organic matter, increased export market access for agriculture produces, and training for farmers, consultants and policy advisors in sustainable agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals.