Abstract:
Soil microbial communities play critical role in provision of key ecosystem functions including primary productivity, nutrient cycling, climate regulation and water purification1-3. Plant microbiomes, which are largely selected from the soil microbiome, provide vital host functions including nutrient absorption, provisions of key phytohormones, metabolites, and resilience against biotic (e.g. pathogens and pests) and abiotic (e.g. drought, heatwave) stresses4,5. Increasingly, strong evidence is emerging that soil microbiomes play direct role in host health via reducing exposure to plant and human pathogens (e.g. E. coli, Salmonella enterica), supressing antibiotic resistance genes, and removal of harmful chemicals from the environments6,7. In this presentation, I will provide overview, empirical data and mapping 1. in direct evidence for linkage between soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functions at local to global scales1,3, 2. current and future global distribution of plant and human pathogens4, and 3. critical role soil microbial diversity in supressing pathogens, and overall approaches to harness microbiomes for improved health outcomes for ecosystem, human and plant7,8,9. This presentation will conclude with recent policy advancements in the discipline10,11 and potential paths forward.

Bio:
Brajesh is a Disguised Professor of Soil biology, at Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University. Through his fundamental research, he identifies the quantitative relationships between soil biodiversity and ecosystem/ host functions and how natural/anthropogenic pressures such climate change affect this. His applied research harnesses the knowledge gained in fundamental research to improve agriculture productivity, restoration success and environmental sustainability. Outcomes from his research have informed multiple policy decisions at national and international levels, and he is currently working with multiple government and inter-governmental bodies including European Commission, United Nation agencies such as Food and Agriculture Authority (FAO) to support the implementation of relevant Sustainable Development Goals. He serves on UN- FAO’s Intergovernmental Panel on Soil and is the Chair of FAO- International Network on Soil Biodiversity (FAO-NETSOB).

Prof Singh has published ~ 300 scientific papers and these have been cited well above 48,000 times with h’ index of 107. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, American Academy of Microbiology, Soil Science Australia, American Society of Soil Science. He is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, and a Humboldt Research Awardee, AMI- Horizon Award- Dorothy Jones prize, and Arrell Global Food Innovation award winner.