Plant-Soil Ecology - PSE
SymAction

Maria Manuela Spratley Saraiva de Lemos Carolino

External Collaborator

Microbial ecology Biofertilizers Microbial consortia Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB)

I received a Ph.D. in Microbial Biotechnology from the University of Lisbon in 1992. 

I am currently working in the Plant Soil Ecology group of cE3c. I am a professor of Applied Microbiology at the University of Lisbon. My research focuses on microbial ecology, quantification and identification of functional microbial groups associated with the biogeochemical cycles at several levels of organization from microbial networks to gas exchanges between soil and atmosphere.

My current research is driven by three overarching objectives: i) development of strategies to engineer rhizosphere (roots, microorganisms and soil) improving the sustainability of agricultural systems and maximizing fertilizer use efficiency; ii) establishment of consortia between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen fixing bacteria and phosphorous solubilising microorganisms; iii) interactions of Actinobacteria and production of anti-microbial compounds in suppressive soils.