Leaf It to Nature

Sierra is an environmental microbiologist, focusing on human-driven changes in soil microbiomes and microbial functions important for environmental health. Her dissertation research focused on agricultural systems, examining how industrial agricultural management disrupts nitrogen-cycling microbiomes. Now, as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Genomic Biology, she focuses on urban systems, identifying the roles of urban planning and land use in shaping soil microbiome virulence. She enjoys studying soil because it’s often an overlooked component of environmental health, and she wants you to know that the difference between soil and dirt is that dirt is soil in a place it’s not supposed to be, like on your kitchen floor!

Shellie Wall is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, working on stomatal biology and crop physiology as part of the Realising Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project with Prof Tracy Lawson. She completed her PhD at the University of Essex, UK, studying how stomatal anatomy influences gas exchange in wheat, and has been involved in Pint of Science since 2017.

Carmen is an insect ecologist curious about how biodiversity can help protect crops while enhancing prosperity on farms and throughout our community. She enjoys growing food, cooking food, and brainstorming with farmers about how to achieve an ethical, decentralized food system.

Still Brewing