Anish Shah

I am a microbial ecologist with experience in plant-soil-microbial interactions. My main research focus is in elucidating the complex interactions that exist between soil, microbes and plants, with a particular focus on improving plant health. I am an emerging leader in soil microbial ecology and aspire to combat climate change and the issue of food security through my research. My PhD research investigated the microbiome of legume nodules (Rhizobia-clover symbiosis) and to show that edaphic factors (mainly pH) influence microbial recruitment. As a Postdoctoral Researcher, I researched the soil microbiome in the context of understanding the role of ammonia-, nitrate- and nitrite- oxidising bacteria, particularly comammox Nitrospira. In my current position as Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation within Murdoch University, I will work to identify a range of microbes associated with horticultural crops (tomatoes, potatoes and avocados), with the goal to improve plant health and resilience, especially in the face of environmental and disease stresses.