Doctor Eleonora Egidi

Dr Eleonora Egidi is a Research Fellow in Microbial Ecology and Environmental Sustainability and an ARC DECRA Fellow (2021-2025). Through global surveys and manipulative equipment, her research focuses on investigating microbial biogeography, plant-soil-microbe interactions, and the mechanism underpinning microbial responses to environmental stressors. She employs cutting-edge methodologies, including metagenomic and functional trait analyses, to understand and manipulate microbial systems.

Dr Egidi joined HIE in 2018 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow following an international search for a microbial ecologist to lead a Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE) funded project “A novel framework to identify, predict and improve efficiency of bioremediation technology”.

In 2021, Dr Egidi was awarded an ARC DECRA fellowship for the project “Small but bold: harnessing microbes to boost drought tolerance in grasses”. The project focusses on identifying the key microbial functions that contribute to grass tolerance to drought. The research involves controlled microcosms and field surveys to identify those microbial taxa that drive drought-survival traits in grasses. This program integrates molecular techniques, soil biochemistry, ecophysiology, and spatial ecology to (i) characterise microbial acquisition patterns by plants with different drought survival traits and (ii) identify microbiome-driven plant traits that provide benefits to grasses under drought. Through this foundational work, she aims to address key challenges in ecosystem restoration and conservation, ensuring the protection of soil biodiversity and promoting sustainable agricultural practices, especially in the context of Australian ecosystems.

Dr Egidi is committed to support and mentor women is science, and to promote accessible opportunities for researchers in Australia. She has actively participated in the SAGE Athena Swan projects during her appointments at both Western Sydney University and La Trobe University, and is a HIE representative of the WSU Equity and Diversity Working Party (EDWP). Since 2016, Dr Egidi has established and co-convene the Ecological Society of Australia Plant-Soil Ecology (PSE) network, an initiative aimed to create a scientific forum for soil ecologists in Australia. Since its initiation, the PSE has delivered yearly symposia and workshops, and >100 presentations at ESA Annual Conferences, significantly contributing to build a much-needed link between plant and soil researchers within the Australian biggest cohort of ecologists.

Awards and recognition

Current Project Grants

Genome Announcements

E. Egidi, J.L. Wood, E.M. Fox, W. Liu, A.E. Franks (2017) Draft genome sequence of Leifsonia sp. NCR5, a rhizobacterium isolated from a cadmium-contaminated soil. Genome Announcements 5.23 (2017): e00520-17

E. Egidi, J.L. Wood, S. Aracic, R. Kannan, L. McDonald, C. Bell, E.M. Fox, W. Liu, A.E. Franks (2016) Draft genome sequence of Enterobacter ludwigii NCR3, a heavy-metal resistant rhizobacterium. Genome Announcements 4(5), e01076-16

E. Egidi, J.L. Wood, S. Mathews E., E.M. Fox, W. Liu, A.E. Franks (2016) Draft genome sequence of Bacillus cereus LCR12, a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium isolated from a heavy metal contaminated environment. Genome Announcements 4(5), e01041-16

E. Egidi, J.L. Wood, E.M. Fox, W. Liu, A.E. Franks (2016) Draft genome of Rhodococcus erythropolis NSX2, an Actinobacterium isolated from a cadmium contaminated environment. Genome Announcements 4(5), e01147-16

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