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Project title

Microbial and Metabolite-based indicators for soil health

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Atlantic Technological University (ATU)

Lead Applicant

Shane O'Reilly

Project Abstract

Earth faces significant problems in relation to biodiversity loss and human-induced degradation of natural ecosystems. Land use, land use change and biodiversity on land is on the frontline. In Ireland, the recent EPA State of the Environment Report highlighted the need for the state to intensify its efforts to protect soil; soil protection is finally also being addressed by national such as the National Soils Strategy and the European Green Deal . Healthy soils are essential in achieving climate neutrality, reversing biodiversity loss, providing healthy food and safeguarding human health. Yet, despite decades soil research, we still do no adequate measures of soil that marry to provide an overall assessment of soil health. We do not understand how chemical, physical parameters and changes impact biodiversity and overall soil function. We cannot protect what we do not understand or cannot measure. The aim of this project is to use an omics-based approach, using metabolomics and genomics approaches, to create new insight into soil biodiversity and function. We will build on, and exploit, previously collected data from existing funded research programmes, in particular the Tellus Survey, to provide the most detailed characterisation of soil microbial biodiversity and metabolic activity in the west and northwest of Ireland. The specific objectives of the project are to obtain representative sets of soil samples from key land-use types - arable, pasture, managed forest, native/ancient forest, wetland, restored wetland, and remediated land - from the Tellus Border (G1) and Tellus West (G3) regions as per the GSI Tellus programme. We will use next generation sequencing (ribosomal rRNA genes) and phospholipid fatty acid analysis to characterize microbial diversity and abundance of these, state-of-the-art mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics to comprehensively characterise the metabolome of these soils and use advanced multivariate statstics and molecular networking approaches to explore, connect and find relations between these new data and existing physico-chemical data. The outcome will be novel soil health indicators, as well as potentially validated existing indicators, which can be developed and implemented as part of a modern soil quality monitoring programme. Soil microbial biodiversity, metabolome and resulting soil health data will be compiled into a master dataset and open-available published maps of the region, and will be capable of being expanded through future work to cover the entirety of Ireland.

Grant Approved

�278,578.20

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

31/03/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

30/03/2026