Micaela Tosi
My main research interests are within the areas of microbial ecology, soil science and environmental science. I’m particularly interested in the role of microorganisms in ecosystem functioning, soil health and plant growth, as well as applying this knowledge in understanding the impact of human activity on ecosystems, restoring degraded lands and developing more sustainable farming practices. My current projects are mostly based on high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques to study the response of soil biota (bacteria, archaea, fungi and fauna) to different agricultural practices (e.g., diversified cropping, fertilization) and to ecological restoration. In these projects, I am able to explore aspects such as microbial diversity, composition and taxonomy, along with potential functional changes and microbial interactions. Thanks to collaborations with other researchers, I’m also able to relate our microbial data with ecosystem processes such as organic matter dynamics, greenhouse gas emissions and plant productivity. In my day-to-day, I particularly enjoy learning and sharing ideas, brainstorming, planning and working with data.