Dr. Valentin Waschulin

I am a microbiologist who is fascinated by how little we truly know about the microbes that live in the soil under our feet. In my research, I try to bridge the gap between computational predictions and actual microbial physiology by connecting -omics techniques with isolate work. During my PhD at the University of Warwick, I investigated Antarctic soil for its biosynthetic potential using long-read sequencing, isolation work and synthetic biology. In my current project as part of the Cluster of Excellence:  Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health at CeMESS, I focus on the effects of recurrent drought on soil the microbiome using qSIP, metagenomics and isolation work. A forthcoming project funded by an MSCA postdoctoral fellowship will be about bacterial secondary metabolites in biological soil crusts from deserts.