Dr Carl Pille

Theme 3 - Associate researcher

 

Carl is broadly interested in plant associated bacteria and their potential for increasing agricultural sustainability. Specifically, during his MSc and PhD at the University of Melbourne, Carl investigated phytate mineralising bacteria, nitrogen fixing bacteria and bacteria which produce plant growth modulating odours, or volatile organic compounds. Through multi-omics and culture dependent and independent methods, Carl showed that phytate solubilising bacteria have potential to unlock native soil P. However, his results also showed that the marketing may have gotten ahead of the science regarding plant associated nitrogen fixing bacteria. Finally, Carl isolated a new Arthrobacter species, whose volatiles can increase plant stress tolerance, as well as potentially increasing photosynthesis, the backbone of plant growth.

Carl currently works as an associate researcher in the Smart Fertiliser Hub, supporting work into novel microbial biofertilizers. He also works as a Research Fellow in an ACIAR project aiming to increase fertiliser efficiency in small holder rice farming in the Laos Peoples Democratic Republic. This ACIAR project will also quantify understudied soil microbe nitrogen conservation pathways, such as dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA)