Juliana Melo

I received a PhD in ecosystem ecology from the University of Vila Velha - Brazil 2014 and am currently working on Sustainable management strategies for high-nature-value farmlands and/or Plant-Soil Ecology at CE3C. My research is centred on soil microbial ecology, with a particular focus on bacteria and fungi. I integrate different approaches, namely microbiology (classical and molecular), biochemistry, physiology (microbial and plant) and ecology.  My research is carried out from a plant-soil ecology perspective to solve applied problems, namely the use of synthetic microbial communities to restore soil functioning and mitigate environmental impacts, trying to maintain a more sustainable agriculture. I actively participate in national and international projects that aim to answer and better understand the plant-soil-microorganism interaction.