Welcome to the MICSO lab

The MICSO Lab

“Integrating soil microbes into the heart of ecosystem science”

At the MICSO Lab, we explore the intersection of microbial ecology and soil biogeochemistry, focusing on how soil microbial communities respond to climate change. Our research delves into the crucial role that soil microbes play in the biogeochemical processes that govern the fate of key elements in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly within the carbon cycle.

Our mission is to integrate soil microbes into the heart of ecosystem science, illuminating their profound impact on biogeochemical processes and ecosystem resilience, especially in the context of a rapidly changing environment.

We use a blend of discipline, integrating chemistry, biology and ecology. Our research is divided between method development, field studies as well as synthesis via large datasets or modelling approaches. Recent examples of methodological innovations include the development of a new method to trace microbial growth in soil or for studying microbial lipids via fatty acid analysis. Check out our Research or Publications pages for more info. Take a look at the yearly report I write, about my activity as PI of the lab and outreach activities in the Yearly report section.

Meet the Lab PI

I am currently an Associate Professor at the University of Bologna since the 1st of October 2024, where I lead the MICSO Lab. Previously I was a University Assistant at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science of the University of Vienna (Austria), working with Professor Andreas Richter. I held a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Ecological Research of Kyoto University (Japan). I have a Ph.D in Soil Biogeochemistry from the University of Sydney (Australia, 2017), where I worked with Professor Feike Dijkstra. I was recently granted an ERC Starting Grant from the European Union, and I will soon start my group at The Department of Biological Sciences, Geological and Environmental of the University of Bologna (Italy).

Join the MICSO lab

We are looking for new team members (see openings) !