Plant–Soil Microbial Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Ecological Functions

Speaker: dr Mehdi Rashtbari, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU), Germany

Talk:  Plant–Soil Microbial Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Ecological Functions

Time: 17.10.2025, 9:00 am

Venue: Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Abrahama 58, hall 042B

Dr. Mehdi Rashtbari is a soil microbial ecologist in the Department of Soil and Microbiome, led by Prof. Dr. Bahar S. Razavi at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany. He earned his PhD in Soil and Plant Microbiome from Kiel University in 2024 and his MSc in Soil Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Tehran.

His research investigates how continuous wheat cultivation and climate stresses such as drought and warming reshape the rhizosphere-the narrow soil zone where roots and microbes interact most intensively. Dr. Rashtbari explores how soil legacy and environmental conditions influence enzyme activity, carbon flow, and microbial community dynamics in this vital interface. Using advanced tools such as glucose imaging, enzyme kinetics, and transcriptomics, his work reveals that monocropping weakens microbial functionality and alters plant sugar transport, while diversified cropping systems enhance rhizosphere resilience and soil health under changing climates.

Dr. Rashtbari has co-authored 15 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Soil Biology & Biochemistry, European Journal of Forest Research, and Soil Ecology Letters, as well as a book chapter. He is an active member of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and the German Soil Science Society (DBG).