Academic interests
I am a microbial ecologist with broad interest in terrestrial environment to strengths the research related to polar and forests, biodiversity and ecosystem services in dynamic environments. Overall, I am interested in understanding how changes in biotic and abiotic conditions influence microbial communities and functionality in various ecosystem including Arctic as one of the interesting focus. My major future research interests are but not limited to: ecology of bacteria, fungi, and micro-eukaryotes in different ecosystem, plant-microbe interaction; glacier/permafrost microbiology, biogeochemical cycling, bioremediation, functional biodiversity in different settings (tundra to forested), Responses and adaption of microorganisms to global changes and human/human-made-environmental microbiome.
Background
My formal training is in Microbiology, and my research interests are in ecology and evolution of the microorganism using cutting-edge molecular tools. My research experience range from studying traditional culture-based to advanced microbial ecology methods (metabarcoding and metagenomics); exploring various fields related to polar and forest microbiology, plant-microbial interactions, role of microbes in biogeochemical cycling, and effect of climate change on microbes etc. My doctoral dissertation (completed in 2015) contributed significantly to the understanding of High-arctic ecology that guide fungal diversity and compositional shift at various spatial and temporal scales. Presently, I am working as a researcher at Oslo Mycology group and in close association with Professor Håvard Kauserud and Dr. Luis Morgado. My current research uses a combination of metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metabarcoding (Bacteria, Fungi and Micro-eukaryotes including protist, nematodes, arthropodes) techniques to understand the taxonomical and functional shift in microbial communities with tree species changes (unmanaged birch to managed spruce plantation) in Norwegian boreal forest ecosystem.