Soil Microbiology Laboratory

Head: Prof.ssa Elena Di Mattia

E-mail: dimattia@unitus.it

The laboratory is equipped with microscope, thermostats, incubators, cabinet with laminar flow for bacteriology, and other experimental devices useful for strain isolation and microbial growth.

The main research areas developed are as follows

• Applied soil microbiology, regard both agro-environment and forest, specifically for isolation and study of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), free N₂-fixing bacteria and rhizobia as symbiont for Leguminosae;
• Microbial biofilm characterization and coformulation of products for soil fertility and plant biofertilization. Management of soil fertility and C sequestration;
• Molecular ecology and soil monitoring with the study of the microbiome in the rhizosphere by use of the metagenomic approach (NGS – Next Generation Sequencing).

In collaboration with other research groups the laboratory faces some relevant topics for soil sciences as the valorization of wastes and the application of bacterial bioproducts.