Our interdisciplinary team has a long experience in the application of different soil bio-indicators, from mesofauna (e.g. QBS-ar, acronym for Soil Biological Quality Arthropods, functional traits of Collembola, etc.) to earthworms (e.g. community studies and QBS-earthworm index). We also apply metagenomic approaches (16S, ITS and 18S) with special emphasis on the analysis of protist (protozoa) communities in soil. We are equipped with climate chambers for microcosm/mesocosm experiments. In addition, we carry out soil ecotoxicological tests (e.g. Collembola, earthworms), soil functional tests (Bait Lamina Test, Tea Bag Index) and chemical characterisation of soil contaminants using state-of-the-art analytical techniques (e.g. HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS and GC-MS) with the ultimate aim of monitoring and assessing the impact of various natural and anthropogenic factors on soil health in agroecosystems and natural systems.
Agriculture
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Biology of interactions
Biology of Organisms
Bioprocesses and Applied Microbiology
Biotechnology
Cellular Biology
Conservation Biology
Ecology
Ecotoxicology
Entomology
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Phylogenetics
Zoology
Taxonomy
Our team is interested in participating in a project proposal, offering our experience in soil ecology and biodiversity monitoring in agroecosystems and natural systems.