Microbial Integration in Soil Systems Lab

Introductory text

The MICSO (Microbial Integration in Soil Systems) Lab was established within the ERC Starting Grant project “EcoMEMO – Ecological Memory of Extreme Drought Events in Soil Microbial Communities”, funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement 101115246). The ERC EcoMEMO project funded the establishment and major scientific equipment of the laboratory.

The lab investigates how soil microorganisms respond to environmental change and how these responses influence carbon and nitrogen cycling and the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of drought and extreme climatic events, microbial physiology and community composition, and the mechanisms controlling ecosystem resistance and resilience.

MICSO research integrates field and laboratory experiments, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, stable-isotope approaches, molecular techniques, and modelling. The laboratory's infrastructure and activities primarily support the scientific objectives of EcoMEMO, together with complementary projects and collaborations aligned with the laboratory's research themes.

EcoMEMO website:
https://site.unibo.it/ecomemo/en

Laboratory Equipment

The major scientific equipment of the MICSO Lab was acquired within the ERC EcoMEMO project.

In addition to standard laboratory equipment (drying ovens, analytical balances, centrifuges, shakers, climate-controlled incubators, sterile hoods, etc.), the laboratory includes:

• TOC analyzer for dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen measurements in soil extracts
• High-throughput system for microbial fatty-acid extraction and PLFA analysis
• Controlled-temperature incubators for microbial experiments
• Microplate reader for microbial growth kinetics, enzyme assays, and soil nutrient analyses
• Systems for DNA/RNA extraction and sample preparation for metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses

Digital PCR for the quantification of target genes

Teaching, Training, and Research Activities

The laboratory supports the research activities of the ERC EcoMEMO project and hosts and trains students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, visiting researchers, and collaborators in microbial ecology, soil biogeochemistry, stable-isotope approaches, and molecular techniques applied to terrestrial ecosystems.

Training activities include both field experimentation and experimental and analytical work carried out at the MICSO Lab.

Services and Collaboration

The laboratory does not currently provide external analytical services but welcomes scientific collaborations and complementary projects aligned with the research themes and objectives of EcoMEMO and the MICSO Lab