Penn State expert to talk about soil ecology and plant health

An expert in microbial ecology of plants from Penn State will wrap up the 2026 School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences’ Spring Seminar Series on April 30.

Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote is an associate professor of phytobiomes and Huck Early Career chair in Microbial Community Ecology at Penn State. His research integrates microbial ecology, plant physiology, and bioinformatics to address fundamental and applied challenges in the optimal practices of agriculture. 

He will speak on “The Ecology of Suppressive Soils: Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture.”

The seminar will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 30, 2026, in the Carver Hall Auditorium on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The Dini-Andreote Lab investigates the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms through which soil- and plant-associated microbiomes influence plant performance under multiple biotic and abiotic stressors, including soilborne pathogens, drought and parasitic weeds. 

A central focus of his work is advancing microbial community theory, particularly concepts of community assembly, functional redundancy, and stability, within the context of agroecosystems.

We are witnessing a new imperative in life sciences with the realization that microbes are important drivers, rather than passengers, of the well-being of plants, animals and humans. Plant-associated microbiomes — also referred to as “the second genome of plants” – have the potential to expand their hosts’ genomic and metabolic capabilities with direct implications for plant health and performance. 

For example, beneficial plant-microbe interactions can assist nutrient acquisition, provide enhanced host immunity, improve host architecture, and promote plant tolerance to varied environmental stresses. This paradigm shift in life sciences comes with new scientific challenges to address key societal problems of the 21st century. 

Of critical importance, there is an increasing global demand for agricultural systems that are more resistant and tolerant to biotic and abiotic perturbations. 

Dini-Andreote will delve into the ecology of the soil and plant rhizosphere microbiota with a focus on exploring advances in our understanding of microbial-mediated mechanisms of soil suppressiveness. 

He will illustrate a variety of ecological mechanisms and aspects of chemical ecology that can be used to develop soil suppressiveness for the control of multiple soil-borne pathogens and the parasitic weed Striga.

He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and conducted postdoctoral research at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology.

Dini-Andreote has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and was recently recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate, 2026). He serves on the executive committee of the One Health Microbiome Center and is a member of the editorial boards of several leading journals in microbial ecology and plant-microbe interactions.

2026 Spring Seminar Schedule

The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences continues its 2026 Spring Seminar Series through April.

The seminars will be held on the following dates at 11 a.m. in the Carver Hall Auditorium on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The seminars are free and open to public.

Feb. 5: Dr. Daniel Kammen, Johns Hopkins University. Topic: Environmental justice Lives!. Host: Dr. Kausiksankar Das. CANCELED

Feb. 12: Dr. Victoria Volkis, University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Topic: From waste to wealth: “whole‑istic” approach to superfruits. POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 2026

Feb. 19: Dr. Inty Omar Hernandez de Lira, a postdoctoral researcher, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Topic: “From Wild Relatives to the Farm: Breeding Disease-Resistant Tomatoes.”

March 5: Dr. Eloisa Vendemiatti, West Virginia State University. Topic: Plant trichomes and pest resistance. Host: Dr. Simon Zebelo.

April 9: Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Center for Sustainable Development, Brookings Institution; host of the “Reimagine Rural” podcast. Host: Dr. Abiodun Omotayo.

April 30: Dr. Francisco Dini-Andreote, Penn State University. Topic: Microbial ecology. Host: Dr. Gordon Custer.

Contact Dr. Ahmed Elnabawi at aelnabawi@umes.edu for more information. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another formation, please contact ADA@umes.edu.

Notice of filming and photography.

Spring 2026 SANS Seminar Series

Tony Pipa, senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution, speaks at the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences’ Spring Seminar on April 9, 2026. Pipa’s topic was “Reimagining Rural: A Blueprint for Keeping Rural Communities Vital.”Photos by Kara Nuzback, UMES Ag Communications)

Past Seminars

Date	Speaker	Topic
April 9, 2026	Tony Pipa, Brookings Institution	Reimagining Rural: A Blueprint for Keeping Rural Communities Vital.
Feb. 19 , 2026	Dr. Inty Omar Hernandez de Lira, University of Maryland Eastern Shore	From Wild Relatives to the Farm: Breeding Disease-Resistant Tomatoes.
March 5, 2026	Dr. Eloisa Vendemiatti, West Virginia State University	Type-IV Trichomes and Acylsugars: Translating Natural Defense into Breeding Tools.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider

For specific accommodations, contact: ada@umes.edu or 410-651-6135.

Notice of filming and photography