Paul Dennis leads an exciting research group that applies cutting-edge technologies to understand the roles of microorganisms and their responses to environmental change.
He is also a passionate educator and public speaker who advocates for the importance of biological diversity and evidence-based environmental awareness. He has talked about his research on ABC Radio and a range of other media outlets.
His teaching covers aspects of ecology, microbiology, plant and soil science, and climatology. He considers these topics to be of fundamental importance for the development of more sustainable societies and takes pride in helping others to obtain the knowledge and skills they need to build a better future.
Paul's research has taken him to Antarctica, the Amazon Rainforest, high mountains and oceans. The approaches used in his lab draw on a wide range of expertise in molecular biology, ecology, statistics, computer science, advanced imaging and soil science. He applies these skills to a wide-range of topics and systems including plant-microbe interactions, Antarctic marine and terrestrial ecology, biogeography, pollution and human health.
Journal Article: Effects of grazing and fire management on rangeland soil and biocrust microbiomes
Vega-Cofre, Maria V., Williams, Wendy, Song, Young, Schmidt, Susanne and Dennis, Paul G. (2023). Effects of grazing and fire management on rangeland soil and biocrust microbiomes. Ecological Indicators, 148 110094, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110094
Journal Article: Maternal diet modulates the infant microbiome and intestinal Flt3L necessary for dendritic cell development and immunity to respiratory infection
Sikder, Md. Al Amin, Rashid, Ridwan B., Ahmed, Tufael, Sebina, Ismail, Howard, Daniel R., Ullah, Md. Ashik, Rahman, Muhammed Mahfuzur, Lynch, Jason P., Curren, Bodie, Werder, Rhiannon B., Simpson, Jennifer, Bissell, Alec, Morrison, Mark, Walpole, Carina, Radford, Kristen J., Kumar, Vinod, Woodruff, Trent M., Ying, Tan Hui, Ali, Ayesha, Kaiko, Gerard E., Upham, John W., Hoelzle, Robert D., Cuív, Páraic Ó., Holt, Patrick G., Dennis, Paul G. and Phipps, Simon (2023). Maternal diet modulates the infant microbiome and intestinal Flt3L necessary for dendritic cell development and immunity to respiratory infection. Immunity, 56 (5), 1098-1114.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.03.002
Journal Article: Soil carbon, nitrogen, and biotic properties after long-term no-till and nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical Vertisol
Zhang, Yaqi, Bhattacharyya, Ranjan, Finn, Damien, Birt, Henry W.G., Dennis, Paul G., Dalal, Ram C., Jones, Andrew R., Meyer, Gregor, Dayananda, Buddhi, Wang, Peng, Menzies, Neal W. and Kopittke, Peter M. (2023). Soil carbon, nitrogen, and biotic properties after long-term no-till and nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical Vertisol. Soil and Tillage Research, 227 105614, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.still.2022.105614
Filling gaps in our TR4 Biosecurity knowledge
(2022–2023) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
(2021–2025) Queensland Institute of Medical Research
(2020–2024) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
The Influence of Soil pH on Microbial Community Structure and Function
(2023) Doctor Philosophy
Management of Fusarium Wilt of banana through microbiome engineering
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial diversity and function along a pH gradient
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial diversity along a pH gradient
Soil microorganisms play critical roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. In this project, we will characterise the diversity of soil bacteria, archaea, fungi and other microeukarya along a pH gradient from Rothamsted, UK. Soil pH strongly influences microbial diversity. The relationship between diversity and other attributes of community structure, however, are poorly understood. In this project we will investigate the effect of species loss on community structure. This work has ramifications for conservation of terrestrial biodiversity.
The language of attraction: How do plants attract microbial symbionts?
Plants release up to 50% of photosynthetically derived carbon from their roots as a complex mixture of organic compounds known as root exudates. These compounds fuel diverse root-associated microbial communities that consist of plant growth-promoting species as well as those that cause disease or compete with plants for resources. By changing the mixture of exudates released from their roots, plants are thought to exert some level of control over the selection of their microbial symbionts.
Current evidence indicates that most root-associated microorganisms are chemotactic, i.e. they have the ability to sense substrates released by roots and direct movement towards them. This ability enables them to respond rapidly to resources as they become available and out-compete neighboring populations. At present there is no information regarding the selectivity of different exudate components for specific groups of chemotactic organisms. Here, we will use a novel chemotaxis assay in combination with high-throughput sequencing and flow cytometry to identify and enumerate microorganisms that respond to different root exudate components. This information will identify exudates that are strongly associated with the recruitment of beneficial and/or deleterious organisms and should facilitate the development of crops that select for beneficial root-microbial communities.
The influence of nutrient deficiencies on root exudation
Plants exude a complex mixture of organic compounds from their roots, which alter the availability of plant nutrients and fuel diverse microbial communities that influence plant health and nutrition. Nutrient deficiencies affect large areas of agricultural land. Nutrient deficiencies are known to strongly influence root exudation but these effects are poorly understood. Changes in root exudation could reduce crop yields by negatively affecting plant nutrient uptake and plant-microbe interactions. For this reason, better understanding of the effects of nutrient deficiencies on root exudation is needed to predict future food security. In this project, plants will be grown under differ nutrient deficiencies and root exudates will be collected and analyses using advanced chromatography and mass spectrometry methods.
Hirsch, Penny R., Miller, Anthony J. and Dennis, Paul G. (2013). Do root exudates exert more influence on rhizosphere bacterial community structure than other rhizodeposits?. Molecular Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere. (pp. 229-242) edited by Frans J. de Bruijn. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781118297674.ch22
Rhizosphere Metatranscriptomics: Challenges and Opportunities
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Tyson, Gene W. and Schenk, Peer M. (2013). Rhizosphere Metatranscriptomics: Challenges and Opportunities. Molecular Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere. (pp. 1137-1144) edited by Frans J. de Bruijn. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781118297674.ch109
14C pulse labelling and allocation imaging
Dennis, Paul and Jones, Davey (2006). 14C pulse labelling and allocation imaging. Handbook of methods used in rhizosphere research. (pp. 336-337) edited by Günter Neumann. Birmensdorf, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
Dennis, Paul, Miller, Anthony and Hirsch, Penny (2006). Non-destructive micro-scale sampling of bacteria from a root surface using a tungsten rod with a standardised sampling area controlled by a micromanipulator. Handbook of methods used in rhizosphere research. (pp. 384-385) edited by Peter Schweiger and Roger Finlay. Birmensdorf, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
Visualisation of rhizosphere bacterial colonisation patterns
Dennis, Paul, Miller, Anthony and Hirsch, Penny (2006). Visualisation of rhizosphere bacterial colonisation patterns. Handbook of methods used in rhizosphere research. (pp. 386-387) edited by Peter Schweiger and Roger Finlay. Birmensdorf, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
Effects of grazing and fire management on rangeland soil and biocrust microbiomes
Vega-Cofre, Maria V., Williams, Wendy, Song, Young, Schmidt, Susanne and Dennis, Paul G. (2023). Effects of grazing and fire management on rangeland soil and biocrust microbiomes. Ecological Indicators, 148 110094, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110094
Sikder, Md. Al Amin, Rashid, Ridwan B., Ahmed, Tufael, Sebina, Ismail, Howard, Daniel R., Ullah, Md. Ashik, Rahman, Muhammed Mahfuzur, Lynch, Jason P., Curren, Bodie, Werder, Rhiannon B., Simpson, Jennifer, Bissell, Alec, Morrison, Mark, Walpole, Carina, Radford, Kristen J., Kumar, Vinod, Woodruff, Trent M., Ying, Tan Hui, Ali, Ayesha, Kaiko, Gerard E., Upham, John W., Hoelzle, Robert D., Cuív, Páraic Ó., Holt, Patrick G., Dennis, Paul G. and Phipps, Simon (2023). Maternal diet modulates the infant microbiome and intestinal Flt3L necessary for dendritic cell development and immunity to respiratory infection. Immunity, 56 (5), 1098-1114.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.03.002
Zhang, Yaqi, Bhattacharyya, Ranjan, Finn, Damien, Birt, Henry W.G., Dennis, Paul G., Dalal, Ram C., Jones, Andrew R., Meyer, Gregor, Dayananda, Buddhi, Wang, Peng, Menzies, Neal W. and Kopittke, Peter M. (2023). Soil carbon, nitrogen, and biotic properties after long-term no-till and nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical Vertisol. Soil and Tillage Research, 227 105614, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.still.2022.105614
Dennis, Paul G., Kukulies, Tegan, Forstner, Christian, Plisson, Fabien, Eaglesham, Geoff and Pattison, Anthony B. (2023). The Effects of Atrazine, Diuron, Fluazifop-P-butyl, Haloxyfop-P-methyl, and Pendimethalin on Soil Microbial Activity and Diversity. Applied Microbiology, 3 (1), 79-89. doi: 10.3390/applmicrobiol3010007
Budden, Kurtis F., Gellatly, Shaan L., Vaughan, Annalicia, Amorim, Nadia, Horvat, Jay C., Hansbro, Nicole G., Wood, David L. A., Hugenholtz, Philip, Dennis, Paul G., Wark, Peter A. B. and Hansbro, Philip M. (2022). Probiotic Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum protects against cigarette smoke-induced inflammation in mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (1) 252, 1-12. doi: 10.3390/ijms24010252
Effect of Toxic Phthalate-Based Plasticizer on the Biodegradability of Polyhydroxyalkanoate
Chan, Clement Matthew, Lyons, Rebecca, Dennis, Paul G., Lant, Paul, Pratt, Steven and Laycock, Bronwyn (2022). Effect of Toxic Phthalate-Based Plasticizer on the Biodegradability of Polyhydroxyalkanoate. Environmental Science & Technology, 56 (24), 17732-17742. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06583
The core bacterial microbiome of banana (Musa spp.)
Birt, Henry W. G., Pattison, Anthony B., Skarshewski, Adam, Daniells, Jeff, Raghavendra, Anil and Dennis, Paul G. (2022). The core bacterial microbiome of banana (Musa spp.). Environmental Microbiomes, 17 (1) 46. doi: 10.1186/s40793-022-00442-0
Young, Anthony J., Birt, Henry W. G., Vaghefi, Niloofar, Hoelzle, Robert D. and Dennis, Paul G. (2022). Draft genome sequences of Dickeya species associated with soft rot diseases in pineapple (Ananas comosus) and banana (Musa spp.). Microbiology Resource Announcements, 11 (11), e0071622. doi: 10.1128/mra.00716-22
Young, Anthony J., Birt, Henry W. G., Hoelzle, Robert D. and Dennis, Paul G. (2022). Draft genome sequences of Robbsia andropogonis isolated from Sorghum bicolor exhibiting bacterial leaf stripe in Australia. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 11 (10) e0024722, e0024722. doi: 10.1128/mra.00247-22
Nitrogen fertilizer rate but not form affects the severity of Fusarium wilt in banana
Orr, Ryan, Dennis, Paul G., Wong, Yide, Browne, Daniel J., Cooper, Martha, Birt, Henry W. G., Lapis-Gaza, Hazel R., Pattison, Anthony B. and Nelson, Paul N. (2022). Nitrogen fertilizer rate but not form affects the severity of Fusarium wilt in banana. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13 907819. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.907819
Williams, Alwyn, Birt, Henry W. G., Raghavendra, Anil and Dennis, Paul G. (2022). Cropping system diversification influences soil microbial diversity in subtropical dryland farming systems. Microbial Ecology, 85 (4), 1-12. doi: 10.1007/s00248-022-02074-w
Manipulating exudate composition from root apices shapes the microbiome throughout the root system
Kawasaki, Akitomo, Dennis, Paul G., Forstner, Christian, Raghavendra, Anil K.H., Mathesius, Ulrike, Richardson, Alan E., Delhaize, Emmanuel, Gilliham, Matthew, Watt, Michelle and Ryan, Peter R. (2021). Manipulating exudate composition from root apices shapes the microbiome throughout the root system. Plant Physiology, 187 (4), 2279-2295. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiab337
Simple solution to preserve plant samples for microbiome analyses
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Poudel, Amrit, Birt, Henry W. G., Bhuiyan, Shamsul A., Card, Stuart D. and Joyce, Priya A. (2021). Simple solution to preserve plant samples for microbiome analyses. Molecular Ecology Resources, 22 (3), 1055-1064. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13538
Plant-produced bacteriocins inhibit plant pathogens and confer disease resistance in tomato
Mirzaee, Hooman, Neira Peralta, Noelia L., Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G. and Schenk, Peer M. (2021). Plant-produced bacteriocins inhibit plant pathogens and confer disease resistance in tomato. New Biotechnology, 63, 54-61. doi: 10.1016/j.nbt.2021.03.003
Bhattacharyya, Ranjan, Rabbi, Sheikh M.F., Zhang, Yaqi, Young, Iain M., Jones, Andrew R., Dennis, Paul G., Menzies, Neal W., Kopittke, Peter M. and Dalal, Ram C. (2021). Soil organic carbon is significantly associated with the pore geometry, microbial diversity and enzyme activity of the macro-aggregates under different land uses. Science of the Total Environment, 778 146286, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146286
Zhang, Yaqi, Finn, Damien, Bhattacharyya, Ranjan, Dennis, Paul G., Doolette, Ashlea L., Smernik, Ronald J., Dalal, Ram C., Meyer, Gregor, Lombi, Enzo, Klysubun, Wantana, Jones, Andrew R., Wang, Peng, Menzies, Neal W. and Kopittke, Peter M. (2021). Long-term changes in land use influence phosphorus concentrations, speciation, and cycling within subtropical soils. Geoderma, 393 115010, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115010
Kawasaki, Akitomo, Dennis, Paul G., Forstner, Christian, Raghavendra, Anil K. H., Richardson, Alan E., Watt, Michelle, Mathesius, Ulrike, Gilliham, Matthew and Ryan, Peter R. (2021). The microbiomes on the roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) exhibit significant differences in structure between root types and along root axes. Functional Plant Biology, 48 (9), 871-888. doi: 10.1071/FP20351
Chuvochina, Maria, Adame, Maria Fernanda, Guyot, Adrien, Lovelock, Catherine, Lockington, David, Gamboa-Cutz, Julieta N. and Dennis, Paul G. (2021). Drivers of bacterial diversity along a natural transect from freshwater to saline subtropical wetlands. Science of the Total Environment, 759 143455, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143455
Newsham, Kevin K., Davey, Marie L., Hopkins, David W. and Dennis, Paul G. (2021). Regional diversity of maritime Antarctic soil fungi and predicted responses of guilds and growth forms to climate change. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11 615659. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.615659
Carvalhais, Lilia C. and Dennis, Paul G. (2021). Preface. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2232, v-vi. doi: 10.4337/9781784714802.00005
Forstner, Christian, Orton, Thomas G., Wang, Peng, Kopittke, Peter M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2020). Wastewater treatment processing of silver nanoparticles strongly influences their effects on soil microbial diversity. Environmental Science and Technology, 54 (21) acs.est.0c01312, 13538-13547. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01312
Rincon-Florez, Vivian A., Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dang, Yash P., Crawford, Mark H., Schenk, Peer M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2020). Significant effects on soil microbial communities were not detected after strategic tillage following 44 years of conventional or no-tillage management. Pedobiologia, 80 150640, 150640. doi: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2020.150640
Lean and keen: microbial activity in soils from the Maritime Antarctic
Hopkins, David W., Dennis, Paul G., Rushton, Steven P., Newsham, Kevin K. and O'Donnell, Tony G. (2020). Lean and keen: microbial activity in soils from the Maritime Antarctic. European Journal of Soil Science, 72 (1), 413-431. doi: 10.1111/ejss.12957
Successional dynamics of soil fungal diversity along a restoration chronosequence post-coal mining
Ngugi, Michael R., Fechner, Nigel, Neldner, Victor J. and Dennis, Paul G. (2019). Successional dynamics of soil fungal diversity along a restoration chronosequence post-coal mining. Restoration Ecology, 28 (3) rec.13112, 543-552. doi: 10.1111/rec.13112
Full-scale investigation of in-situ iron and alkalinity generation for efficient sulfide control
Pikaar, Ilje, Flugen, Markus, Lin, Hui-Wen, Salehin, Sirajus, Li, Jiuling, Donose, Bogdan C., Dennis, Paul G., Bethke, Lisa, Johnson, Ian, Rabaey, Korneel and Yuan, Zhiguo (2019). Full-scale investigation of in-situ iron and alkalinity generation for efficient sulfide control. Water Research, 167 115032, 115032. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115032
Forstner, Christian, Orton, Thomas G., Wang, Peng, Kopittke, Peter M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2019). Soil chloride content influences the response of bacterial but not fungal diversity to silver nanoparticles entering soil via wastewater treatment processing. Environmental Pollution, 255 (Pt 2) 113274, 113274. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113274
Berg, Shelby, Dennis, Paul G., Paungfoo-Lonhienne, Chanyarat, Anderson, Jay, Robinson, Nicole, Brackin, Richard, Royle, Adam, DiBella, Lawrence and Schmidt, Susanne (2019). Effects of commercial microbial biostimulants on soil and root microbial communities and sugarcane yield. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 56 (4), 565-580. doi: 10.1007/s00374-019-01412-4
Effects of carbon nanotubes and derivatives of graphene oxide on soil bacterial diversity
Forstner, Christian, Orton, Thomas G., Wang, Peng, Kopittke, Peter M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2019). Effects of carbon nanotubes and derivatives of graphene oxide on soil bacterial diversity. Science of the Total Environment, 682, 356-363. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.162
Effects of graphene oxide and graphite on soil bacterial and fungal diversity
Forstner, Christian, Orton, Thomas G., Skarshewski, Adam, Wang, Peng, Kopittke, Peter M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2019). Effects of graphene oxide and graphite on soil bacterial and fungal diversity. Science of the Total Environment, 671, 140-148. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.360
Gurusinghe, Saliya, Brooks, Tabin L., Barrow, Russell A., Zhu, Xiaocheng, Thotagamuwa, Agasthya, Dennis, Paul G., Gupta, Vadakattu V. S. R., Vanniasinkam, Thiru and Weston, Leslie A. (2019). Technologies for the selection, culture and metabolic profiling of unique rhizosphere microorganisms for natural product discovery. Molecules, 24 (10) 1955, 1955. doi: 10.3390/molecules24101955
Liu, Hongwei, Khan, Muhammad Yahya, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Yan, Lijuan, Crawford, Mark, Dennis, Paul G., Singh, Brajesh and Schenk, Peer M. (2019). Soil amendments with ethylene precursor alleviate negative impacts of salinity on soil microbial properties and productivity. Scientific Reports, 9 (1) 6892, 6892. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-43305-4
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Rincon-Florez, Vivian A., Brewer, Philip B., Beveridge, Christine A., Dennis, Paul G. and Schenk, Peer M. (2019). The ability of plants to produce strigolactones affects rhizosphere community composition of fungi but not bacteria. Rhizosphere, 9, 18-26. doi: 10.1016/j.rhisph.2018.10.002
Soil bacterial diversity is positively associated with air temperature in the maritime Antarctic
Dennis, Paul G., Newsham, Kevin K., Rushton, Steven P., O’Donnell, Anthony G. and Hopkins, David W. (2019). Soil bacterial diversity is positively associated with air temperature in the maritime Antarctic. Scientific Reports, 9 (1) 2686, 2686. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39521-7
Ngugi, Michael R., Dennis, Paul G., Neldner, Victor J., Doley, David, Fechner, Nigel and McElnea, Angus (2018). Open-cut mining impacts on soil abiotic and bacterial community properties as shown by restoration chronosequence. Restoration Ecology, 26 (5), 839-850. doi: 10.1111/rec.12631
Liu, Hongwei, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Schenk, Peer M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2018). Activation of the salicylic acid signalling pathway in wheat had no significant short-term impact on the diversity of root-associated microbiomes. Pedobiologia, 70, 6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2018.08.001
Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Reith, Frank, Dennis, Paul G., Hamonts, Kelly, Powell, Jeff R., Young, Andrew, Singh, Brajesh K. and Bissett, Andrew (2018). Ecological drivers of soil microbial diversity and soil biological networks in the Southern Hemisphere. Ecology, 99 (3), 583-596. doi: 10.1002/ecy.2137
Dennis, Paul G., Kukulies, Tegan, Forstner, Christian, Orton, Thomas G. and Pattison, Anthony B (2018). The effects of glyphosate, glufosinate, paraquat and paraquat-diquat on soil microbial activity and bacterial, archaeal and nematode diversity. Scientific Reports, 8 (1) 2119, 2119. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20589-6
Lynch, Jason P., Werder, Rhiannon B., Loh, Zhixuan, Sikder, Md Al Amin, Curren, Bodie, Zhang, Vivian, Rogers, Matthew J. , Lane, Katie, Simpson, Jennifer, Mazzone, Stuart B., Spann, Kirsten, Hayball, John, Diener, Kerrilyn, Everard, Mark L., Blyth, Christopher C., Forstner, Christian, Dennis, Paul G., Murtaza, Nida, Morrison, Mark, Ó Cuív, Páraic, Zhang, Ping, Haque, Ashraful, Hill, Geoffrey R., Sly, Peter D., Upham, John W. and Phipps, Simon (2017). Plasmacytoid dendritic cells protect from viral bronchiolitis and asthma through semaphorin 4a-mediated T reg expansion. The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 215 (2), 537-557. doi: 10.1084/jem.20170298
Inner plant values: Diversity, colonization and benefits from endophytic bacteria
Liu, Hongwei, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Crawford, Mark, Singh, Eugenie, Dennis, Paul G., Pieterse, Corné M.J. and Schenk, Peer M. (2017). Inner plant values: Diversity, colonization and benefits from endophytic bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8 (DEC) 2552, 2552. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02552
Yeoh, Yun Kit, Dennis, Paul G., Paungfoo-Lonhienne, Chanyarat, Weber, Lui, Brackin, Richard, Ragan, Mark A., Schmidt, Susanne and Hugenholtz, Philip (2017). Evolutionary conservation of a core root microbiome across plant phyla along a tropical soil chronosequence. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 002628, 215. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00262-8
Shiffman, Miriam E, Soo, Rochelle M, Dennis, Paul G, Morrison, Mark, Tyson, Gene W and Hugenholtz, Philip (2017). Gene and genome-centric analyses of koala and wombat fecal microbiomes point to metabolic specialization for Eucalyptus digestion. PeerJ, 5, 1-32. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4075
Jasmonic acid signalling and the plant holobiont
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Schenk, Peer M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2017). Jasmonic acid signalling and the plant holobiont. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 37, 42-47. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.03.009
Bissett, Andrew, Fitzgerald, Anna, Court, Leon, Meintjes, Thys, Mele, Pauline M., Reith, Frank, Dennis, Paul G., Breed, Martin F., Brown, Belinda, Brown, Mark V., Brugger, Joel, Byrne, Margaret, Caddy-Retalic, Stefan, Carmody, Bernie, Coates, David J., Correa, Carolina, Ferrari, Belinda C., Gupta, Vadakattu V. S. R., Hamonts, Kelly, Haslem, Asha, Hugenholtz, Philip, Karan, Mirko, Koval, Jason, Lowe, Andrew J., Macdonald, Stuart, McGrath, Leanne, Martin, David, Morgan, Matt, North, Kristin I. ... Young, Andrew (2017). Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database (vol 5, 1, 2016). Gigascience, 6 (5) gix021, 1-1. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/gix021
Microbial energy and matter transformation in agricultural soils
Finn, Damien, Kopittke, Peter M., Dennis, Paul G. and Dalal, Ram C. (2017). Microbial energy and matter transformation in agricultural soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 111, 176-192. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.04.010
Hughes, B., Beale, D. J., Dennis, P. G., Cook, S. and Ahmed, W. (2017). Cross-comparison of human wastewater-associated molecular markers in relation to fecal indicator bacteria and enteric viruses in recreational beach waters. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 83 (8) e00028-17. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00028-17
Virdis, Bernardino and Dennis, Paul G. (2017). The nanostructure of microbially-reduced graphene oxide fosters thick and highly-performing electrochemically-active biofilms. Journal of Power Sources, 356, 556-565. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.02.086
Lynch, Jason P., Sikder, Al Amin, Curren, Bodie F., Werder, Rhiannon B., Simpson, Jennifer, Cuiv, Paraic O., Dennis, Paul G., Everard, Mark L. and Phipps, Simon (2017). The influence of the microbiome on early-life severe viral lower respiratory infections and asthma-food for thought?. Frontiers in Immunology, 8 (FEB) 156, 156. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00156
Effects of jasmonic acid signalling on the wheat microbiome differ between body sites
Liu, Hongwei, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Schenk, Peer M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2017). Effects of jasmonic acid signalling on the wheat microbiome differ between body sites. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) srep41766, 41766. doi: 10.1038/srep41766
Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Powell, Jeff R., Hamonts, Kelly, Reith, Frank, Mele, Pauline, Brown, Mark V., Dennis, Paul G., Ferrari, Belinda C., Fitzgerald, Anna, Young, Andrew, Singh, Brajesh K. and Bissett, Andrew (2017). Circular linkages between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are limited to topsoil at the continental scale. New Phytologist, 215 (3), 1186-1196. doi: 10.1111/nph.14634
Dennis, Paul G., Virdis, Bernardino, Vanwonterghem, Inka, Hassan, Alif, Hugenholtz, Phil, Tyson, Gene W. and Rabaey, Korneel (2016). Anode potential influences the structure and function of anodic electrode and electrolyte-associated microbiomes. Scientific Reports, 6 (1) 39114, 39114. doi: 10.1038/srep39114
Liu, Hongwei, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Crawford, Mark, Dang, Yash P., Dennis, Paul G. and Schenk, Peer M. (2016). Strategic tillage increased the relative abundance of Acidobacteria but did not impact on overall soil microbial properties of a 19-year no-till Solonetz. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 52 (7), 1021-1035. doi: 10.1007/s00374-016-1138-0
Wang, Peng, Menzies, Neal W., Dennis, Paul G., Guo, Jianhua, Forstner, Christian, Sekine, Ryo, Lombi, Enzo, Kappen, Peter, Bertsch, Paul M. and Kopittke, Peter M. (2016). Silver nanoparticles entering soils via the wastewater-sludge-soil pathway pose low risk to plants but elevated Cl concentrations increase Ag bioavailability. Environmental Science and Technology, 50 (15), 8274-8281. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01180
Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database
Bissett, Andrew, Fitzgerald, Anna, Meintjes, Thys, Mele, Pauline M., Reith, Frank, Dennis, Paul G., Breed, Martin F., Brown, Belinda, Brown, Mark V., Brugger, Joel, Byrne, Margaret, Caddy-Retalic, Stefan, Carmody, Bernie, Coates, David J., Correa, Carolina, Ferrari, Belinda C., Gupta, Vadakattu V. S. R., Hamonts, Kelly, Haslem, Asha, Hugenholtz, Philip, Karan, Mirko, Koval, Jason, Lowe, Andrew J., Macdonald, Stuart, McGrath, Leanne, Martin, David, Morgan, Matt, North, Kristin I., Paungfoo-Lonhienne, Chanyarat ... Young, Andrew (2016). Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database. Gigascience, 5 (1) 21, 21.1-21.11. doi: 10.1186/s13742-016-0126-5
Forstner, Christian, Wang, Peng, Kopittke, Peter M. and Dennis, Paul G. (2016). Comment on "graphene oxide regulates the bacterial community and exhibits property changes in soil" by J. Du, X. Hu and Q. Zhou,: RSC Advances, 2015, 5, 27009. RSC Advances, 6 (56), 51203-51204. doi: 10.1039/c5ra26329h
Liu, Hongwei, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Rincon-Florez, Vivian, Crawford, Mark, Dang, Yash P., Dennis, Paul G. and Schenk, Peer M. (2016). One-time strategic tillage does not cause major impacts on soil microbial properties in a no-till Calcisol. Soil and Tillage Research, 158, 91-99. doi: 10.1016/j.still.2015.12.007
Liu, Hongwei, Crawford, Mark, Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dang, Yash P., Dennis, Paul G. and Schenk, Peer M. (2016). Strategic tillage on a Grey Vertosol after fifteen years of no-till management had no short-term impact on soil properties and agronomic productivity. Geoderma, 267, 146-155. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.01.002
Sun, Benhua, Dennis, Paul G., Newsham, Kevin K., Hopkins, David W. and Hallett, Paul D. (2016). Gelifluction and thixotropy of maritime Antarctic soils: small-scale measurements with a rotational rheometer. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 28 (1), 314-321. doi: 10.1002/ppp.1886
Relationship between soil fungal diversity and temperature in the maritime Antarctic
Newsham, Kevin K., Hopkins, David W., Carvalhais, Lilia C., Fretwell, Peter T., Rushton, Steven P., O'Donnell, Anthony G. and Dennis, Paul G. (2016). Relationship between soil fungal diversity and temperature in the maritime Antarctic. Nature Climate Change, 6 (2), 182-186. doi: 10.1038/nclimate2806
Linking jasmonic acid signaling, root exudates, and rhizosphere microbiomes
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Badri, Dayakar V., Kidd, Brendan N., Vivanco, Jorge M. and Schenk, Peer M. (2015). Linking jasmonic acid signaling, root exudates, and rhizosphere microbiomes. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 28 (9), 1049-1058. doi: 10.1094/MPMI-01-15-0016-R
The core root microbiome of sugarcanes cultivated under varying nitrogen fertiliser application.
Yeoh, Yun Kit, Paungfoo-Lonhienne, Chanyarat, Dennis, Paul G., Robinson, Nicole, Ragan, Mark A., Schmidt, Susanne and Hugenholtz, Philip (2015). The core root microbiome of sugarcanes cultivated under varying nitrogen fertiliser application.. Environmental Microbiology, 18 (5), 1338-1351. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.12925
Zhou, Mi, Freguia, Stefano, Dennis, Paul G., Keller, Jürg and Korneel Rabaey (2015). Development of bioelectrocatalytic activity stimulates mixed-culture reduction of glycerol in a bioelectrochemical system. Microbial Biotechnology, 8 (3), 483-489. doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.12240
Laudicina, Vito Armando, Benhua, Sun, Dennis, Paul G, Badalucco, Luigi, Rushton, Steven P, Newsham, Kevin K, O'Donnell, Anthony G, Hartley, Iain P and Hopkins, David W (2015). Responses to increases in temperature of heterotrophic micro-organisms in soils from the maritime Antarctic. Polar Biology, 38 (8), 1153-1160. doi: 10.1007/s00300-015-1673-4
Pantos, Olga, Bongaerts, Pim, Dennis, Paul G., Tyson, Gene W. and Hoegh-Guldberg, OVe (2015). Habitat-specific environmental conditions primarily control the microbiomes of the coral Seriatopora hystrix. The ISME Journal, 9 (9), 1916-1927. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2015.3
Plant defence inducers rapidly influence the diversity of bacterial communities in a potting mix
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G. and Schenk, Peer M. (2014). Plant defence inducers rapidly influence the diversity of bacterial communities in a potting mix. Applied Soil Ecology, 84, 1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2014.06.011
Sun, Benhua, Dennis, P. G., Laudicina, V. A., Ord, V. J., Rushton, S. P., O'Donnell, A. G., Newsham, K. K. and Hopkins, D. W. (2014). Biogeochemical responses to nutrient, moisture and temperature manipulations of soil from Signy Island, South Orkney Islands in the Maritime Antarctic. Antarctic Science, 26 (5), 513-520. doi: 10.1017/S0954102014000030
GroopM: an automated tool for the recovery of population genomes from related metagenomes
Imelfort, Michael, Parks, Donovan, Woodcroft, Ben J., Dennis, Paul, Hugenholtz, Philip and Tyson, Gene W. (2014). GroopM: an automated tool for the recovery of population genomes from related metagenomes. PeerJ, 2014 (1) e603, 1-16. doi: 10.7717/peerj.603
Vanwonterghem, Inka, Jensen, Paul D., Dennis, Paul G., Hugenholtz, Philip, Rabaey, Korneel and Tyson, Gene W. (2014). Deterministic processes guide long-term synchronised population dynamics in replicate anaerobic digesters. ISME Journal, Advance Online (10), 1-14. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2014.50
An expanded genomic representation of the phylum Cyanobacteria
Soo, Rochelle M., Skennerton, Connor T., Sekiguchi, Yuji, Imelfort, Michael, Paech, Samuel J., Dennis, Paul G., Steen, Jason A., Parks, Donovan H., Tyson, Gene W. and Hugenholtz, Philip (2014). An expanded genomic representation of the phylum Cyanobacteria. Genome Biology and Evolution, Advance Access (5), 1-42. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evu073
Angly, Florent E., Dennis, Paul G., Skarshewski, Adam, Vanwonterghem, Inka, Hugenholtz, Philip and Tyson, Gene W. (2014). CopyRighter: a rapid tool for improving the accuracy of microbial community profiles through lineage-specific gene copy number correction. Microbiome, 2 (11) 11, 11. doi: 10.1186/2049-2618-2-11
Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soils
Cowan, Don A., Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Dennis, Paul G. and Hopkins, David W. (2014). Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soils. Frontiers in Microbiology, 5 (APR) 154, 154. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00154
Microbial properties and nitrogen contents of arable soils under different tillage regimes
Sun, B., Roberts, D. M., Dennis, P. G., Caul, S., Daniell, T. J., Hallett, P. D. and Hopkins, D. W. (2014). Microbial properties and nitrogen contents of arable soils under different tillage regimes. Soil Use and Management, 30 (1), 152-159. doi: 10.1111/sum.12089
Pervin, Hasina M., Dennis, Paul G., Lim, Hui J., Tyson, Gene W., Batstone, Damien J. and Bond, Philip L. (2013). Drivers of microbial community composition in mesophilic and thermophilic temperature-phased anaerobic digestion pre-treatment reactors. Water Research, 47 (19), 7098-7108. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2013.07.053
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Fedoseyenko, Dmitri, Hajirezaei, Mohammad-Reza, Borriss, Rainer and von Wirén, Nicolaus (2013). Erratum to Root exudation of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids by maize as affected by nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron deficiency [J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci 174 (2011) 311]. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 176 (4), 641-641. doi: 10.1002/jpln.201390025
Coral reef invertebrate microbiomes correlate with the presence of photosymbionts
Bourne, David G, Dennis, Paul G., Uthicke, Sven, Soo, Rochelle M., Tyson, Gene W. and Webster, Nicole (2013). Coral reef invertebrate microbiomes correlate with the presence of photosymbionts. Isme Journal, 7 (7), 1459-1459. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2013.71
Coral reef invertebrate microbiomes correlate with the presence of photosymbionts
Bourne, David G., Dennis, Paul G., Uthicke, Sven, Soo, Rochelle M., Tyson, Gene W. and Webster, Nicole (2013). Coral reef invertebrate microbiomes correlate with the presence of photosymbionts. Isme Journal, 7 (7), 1452-1458. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2012.172
Dennis, Paul G., Harnisch, Falk, Yeoh, Yun Kit, Tyson, Gene W. and Rabaey, Korneel (2013). Dynamics of cathode-associated microbial communities and metabolite profiles in a glycerol-fed bioelectrochemical system. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 79 (13), 4008-4014. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00569-13
Guo, Kun, Freguia, Stefano, Dennis, Paul G., Chen, Xin, Donose, Bogdan C., Keller, Jurg, Gooding, J. Justin and Rabaey, Korneel (2013). Effects of surface charge and hydrophobicity on anodic biofilm formation, community composition, and current generation in bioelectrochemical systems. Environmental Science and Technology, 47 (13), 7563-7570. doi: 10.1021/es400901u
Linking plant nutritional status to plant-microbe interactions
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Fan, Ben, Fedoseyenko, Dmitri, Kierul, Kinga, Becker, Anke, von Wiren, Nicolaus and Borriss, Rainer (2013). Linking plant nutritional status to plant-microbe interactions. PLoS One, 8 (7) e68555, e68555.1-e68555.13. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068555
Diverse populations of lake water bacteria exhibit chemotaxis towards inorganic nutrients
Dennis, Paul G., Seymour, Justin, Kumbun, Kimber and Tyson, Gene W. (2013). Diverse populations of lake water bacteria exhibit chemotaxis towards inorganic nutrients. ISME Journal, 7 (8), 1661-1664. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2013.47
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Badri, Dayakar V., Tyson, Gene W., Vivanco, Jorge M. and Schenk, Peer M. (2013). Activation of the jasmonic acid plant defence pathway alters the composition of rhizosphere bacterial communities. PLoS ONE, 8 (2) e56457, e56457. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056457
Microbial responses to carbon and nitrogen supplementation in an Antarctic dry valley soil
Dennis, P. G., Sparrow, A. D., Gregorich, E. G., Novis, P. M., Elberling, B., Greenfield, L. G. and Hopkins, D. W. (2013). Microbial responses to carbon and nitrogen supplementation in an Antarctic dry valley soil. Antarctic Science, 25 (1), 55-61. doi: 10.1017/S0954102012000855
Dennis, Paul G., Newsham, Kevin K., Rushton, Steven P., Ord, Victoria J., O'Donnell, Anthony G. and Hopkins, David W. (2013). Warming constrains bacterial community responses to nutrient inputs in a southern, but not northern, maritime Antarctic soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 57, 248-255. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.07.009
Spatial uniformity of microbial diversity in a continuous bioelectrochemical system
Dennis, Paul G., Guo, Kun, Imelfort, Michael, Jensen, Paul, Tyson, Gene W. and Rabaey, Korneel (2012). Spatial uniformity of microbial diversity in a continuous bioelectrochemical system. Bioresource Technology, 129 (10), 599-605. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.11.098
Application of metatranscriptomics to soil environments
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Tyson, Gene W. and Schenk, Peer M. (2012). Application of metatranscriptomics to soil environments. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 91 (2), 246-251. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2012.08.011
Cayford, Barry I., Dennis, Paul G., Keller, Jurg, Tyson, Gene W. and Bond, Philip L. (2012). High-throughput amplicon sequencing reveals distinct communities within a corroding concrete sewer system. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78 (19), 7160-7162. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01582-12
Dennis, Paul G., Rushton, Steven P., Newsham, Kevin K., Lauducina, Vito A., Ord, Victoria J., Daniell, Timothy J., O'Donnell, Anthony G. and Hopkins, David W. (2012). Soil fungal community composition does not alter along a latitudinal gradient through the maritime and sub-Antarctic. Fungal Ecology, 5 (4), 403-408. doi: 10.1016/j.funeco.2011.12.002
Key Biochemical Attributes to Assess Soil Ecosystem Sustainability
Laudicina, Vito Armando, Dennis, Paul C., Palazzolo, Eristanna and Badalucco, Luigi (2012). Key Biochemical Attributes to Assess Soil Ecosystem Sustainability. Environmental Protection Strategies for Sustainable Development, 193-227. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-1591-2_6
Carvalhais, Lilia C., Dennis, Paul G., Fedoseyenko, Dmitri, Hajirezaei, Mohammad-Reza, Borriss, Rainer and von Wiren, Nicolaus (2011). Root exudation of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids by maize as affected by nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron deficiency. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 174 (1), 3-11. doi: 10.1002/jpln.201000085
Dennis P.G., Miller A.J. and Hirsch P.R. (2010). Are root exudates more important than other sources of rhizodeposits in structuring rhizosphere bacterial communities?. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 72 (3), 313-327. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00860.x
Hopkins, D.W., Sparrow, A.D., Gregorich, E.G., Elberling, B., Novis, P., Fraser, F., Scrimgeour, C., Dennis, P.G., Meier-Augenstein, W. and Greenfield, L.G. (2009). Isotopic evidence for the provenance and turnover of organic carbon by soil microorganisms in the Antarctic dry valleys. Environmental Microbiology, 11 (3), 597-608. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01830.x
Linking rhizoplane pH and bacterial density at the microhabitat scale
Dennis, Paul G., Hirsch, Penny R., Smith, Susan J., Taylor, Richard G., Valsami-Jones, Eugenia and Miller, Anthony J. (2009). Linking rhizoplane pH and bacterial density at the microhabitat scale. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 76 (1), 101-104. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2008.09.013
A novel method for sampling bacteria on plant root and soil surfaces at the microhabitat scale
Dennis, Paul G., Miller, Anthony J., Clark, Ian M., Taylor, Richard G., Valsami-Jones, Eugenia and Hirsch, Penny R. (2008). A novel method for sampling bacteria on plant root and soil surfaces at the microhabitat scale. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 75 (1), 12-18. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2008.04.013
Hopkins, D.W., Sparrow, A.D., Shillam, L.L., English, L.C., Dennis, P.G., Novis, P., Elberling, B., Gregorich, E.G. and Greenfield, L.G. (2008). Enzymatic activities and microbial communities in an Antarctic dry valley soil: Responses to C and N supplementation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40 (9), 2130-2136. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.03.022
Field evaluation of in situ remediation of a heavy metal contaminated soil using lime and red-mud
Gray. C. W., Dunham. S. J., Dennis. P. G., Zhao. F. J. and McGrath. S. P. (2006). Field evaluation of in situ remediation of a heavy metal contaminated soil using lime and red-mud. Environmental Pollution, 142 (3), 530-539. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2005.10.017
Organic acid behavior in soils - Misconceptions and knowledge gaps
Jones D.L., Dennis P.G., Owen A.G. and Van Hees P.A.W. (2003). Organic acid behavior in soils - Misconceptions and knowledge gaps. Plant and Soil, 248 (1-2), 31-41. doi: 10.1023/A:1022304332313
Budden, K., Rehman, S. F., Shukla, S., Bowerman, K., Donovan, C., Gomez, H., Alemao, C., Wood, L., Dennis, P., Hugenholtz, P., Wark, P. and Hansbro, P. (2022). Association between dietary fibre, microbial metabolites and airway obstruction in COPD patients and murine models. ERS International Congress 2022, Barcelona, Spain, 4-6 September 2022. Sheffield, United Kingdom: European Respiratory Society. doi: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2022.3289
Diet influences COPD pathogenesis by regulating microbial metabolism
Budden, K., Rehman, Firdous S., Shukla, S., Bowerman, K., Donovan, C., Gomez, H., Sahu, P., Alemao, C., Holmes, A., Dennis, P., Hugenholtz, P., Wark, P. and Hansbro, P. (2020). Diet influences COPD pathogenesis by regulating microbial metabolism. TSANZSRS 2020 The Australia & New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (ANZSRS/TSANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting for Leaders in Lung Health & Respiratory Science, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 27–31 March 2020. Richmond, VIC Australia: Wiley-Blackwell.
Dietary fibre elevates SCFAS and protects against experimental COPD
Budden, K., Shukla, S., Rehman, Firdous S., Donvan, C., Bowerman, K., Dennis, P., Hugenholtz, P. and Hansbro, P. (2019). Dietary fibre elevates SCFAS and protects against experimental COPD. TSANZSRS 2019 The Australia & New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (ANZSRS/TSANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 29 March–2 April 2019. Richmond, VIC, Australia : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/resp.13492
The Role of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Lung Cancer Pathogenesis
Budden, Kurtis, Shukla, Shakti, Rehman, Saima Firdous, Sahu, Priyanka, Donovan, Chantal, Bowerman, Kate L., Dennis, Paul G., Hugenholtz, Philip and Hansbro, Philip M. (2019). The Role of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Lung Cancer Pathogenesis. 2019 Hunter Cancer Research Symposium, Newcastle, NSW Australia, 8 November 2019. Chichester, West Sussex United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
Identification of disease suppressive banana plant and soil microbiomes
Dennis, P., Birt, H., Raghavendra, A., Waugh, G., Wang, H., Aitken, E., Gervacio, T., Orr, R., Nelson, P., Daniells, J. and Pattison, T. (2018). Identification of disease suppressive banana plant and soil microbiomes. International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP), Boston MA, United States, July 29 - August 3 2018. Saint Paul, MN, United States: American Phytopathological Society.
Pattison, T., McBeath, A., East, D., Birt, H. and Dennis, P. (2018). Manipulation of the soil microbial community to suppress soil-borne diseases of banana through soil management. International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP), Boston MA, United States, July 29 - August 3 2018. Saint Paul, MN, United States: American Phytopathological Society.
Budden, Kurtis, Gellatly, Shaan, Wood, David, Morrison, Mark, Cooper, Matthew, Dennis, Paul G., Hugenholtz, Philip and Hansbro, Philip (2017). Dietary fibre and microbial metabolites protect against cigarette smoke-induced lung pathology in mice. 22nd Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, Sydney, Australia, 23–26 November 2017. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley.
Healthy gut microbiota ameliorates experimental chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Gellatly, S., Dennis, P., Jarnicki, A., Lachner, N., Wood, D., Fricker, M., Budden, K., Liu, G., Keely, S., Morrison, M., Willner, D., Cooper, M., Hugenholtz, P. and Hansbro, P. (2016). Healthy gut microbiota ameliorates experimental chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science 2014, Perth, WA, Australia, 1–6 April 2016. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley. doi: 10.1111/resp.12754_22
Lynch, J. P., Werder, R., Rogers, M., Lane, K., Loh, Z., Diener, K., Colonna, M., Forstner, C., Dennis, P., Hayball, J., Hill, G., Haque, A., Spann, K., Mazzone, S., Uphaem, J. and Phipps, S. (2016). Semaphorin 4A-Dependent Treg Cell Expansion by Plasmacytoid Dc Confers Protection Against Severe Viral Bronchiolitis and Subsequent Asthma. 4th Annual Meeting of The International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS), San Francisco, United States, 16-19 October 2016. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2016.07.021
Pervin, H.P., Hastie, M., Dennis, P.G., Jensen, P., Gorman, J., Tyson, G.W., Batstone, D. and Bond, P.L. (2013). Microbial community composition and function associated with enhanced anaerobic digestion of organic biosolids.. 2nd Water Research Conference, Singapore EXPO, Singapore, 20-23 January, 2013.
Pervin, H.P., Dennis, P.G., Lim, H.J., Tyson, G.W., Batstone, D. and Bond, P.L. (2013). Microbial community dynamics correlate to reactor parameters and performance in a pre-treatment stage of temperature–phased anaerobic digestion.. 2nd Water Research Conference, Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, 20-23 January 2013.
Pervin, H. P., Hastie, M., Dennis, P. G., Gorman, J., Tyson, G. W., Batstone, D. and Bond, P. L. (2012). Determining ecosystem community and function important for enhanced anaerobic digestion of organic biosolids. Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2012), Brisbane, Australia, 1-4 July 2012.
Microbial communities involved in the corrosion of concrete sewer infrastructure
Cayford, Barry I., Dennis, Paul G., Tyson, Gene W. and Bond, Philip L. (2012). Microbial communities involved in the corrosion of concrete sewer infrastructure. 14th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME14), Copenhagan, Denmark, 19-24 August 2012.
Microbial corrosion of concrete sewer pipes
Cayford, B. I., Tyson, G. W., Dennis, P. G., Keller, J. and Bond, P .L. (2012). Microbial corrosion of concrete sewer pipes. Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM2012), Brisbane, Australia, 1-4 July 2012.
How do rhizosphere bacteria interact with their environment at the microhabitat scale?
Dennis, Paul (2007). How do rhizosphere bacteria interact with their environment at the microhabitat scale?. PhD Thesis, -, University College London.
Filling gaps in our TR4 Biosecurity knowledge
(2022–2023) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
(2021–2025) Queensland Institute of Medical Research
(2020–2024) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Bioplastics in the environment: lifetimes and toxicology
(2020–2023) ARC Discovery Projects
(2019–2021) Queensland Institute of Medical Research
(2019) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
BA14014 Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 Research Program
(2016–2020) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
BA14013 Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 - biosecurity and sustainable solutions
(2016–2017) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
(2015) Australian Synchrotron Access Program
Scoping herbicide impacts on banana production and soil health
(2014–2016) Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Characterisation of soil microorganisms that minimise agricultural impacts on the Great Barrier Reef
(2014) UQ Early Career Researcher
Characterisation of the Koala gut microbiome for Australian biofuel precursor production
(2011–2012) UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
Anaerobic workstations for experimental and pure culture research.
(2011) UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
Management of Fusarium Wilt of banana through microbiome engineering
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Microbial diversity and function along a pH gradient
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Minimising the impacts of land use on microbially mediated soil ecosystem services
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Assigning function to the core microbiome of banana
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Biocrust microorganisms and their function in Australian savanna grazing lands
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Impact of land management on the ecology of soilborne plant diseases
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
DP2 receptor antagonism ameliorates the severity of experimental COPD and IPF
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
The influence of maternal diet on the assembly of the neonatal microbiome and its effects on regulatory T-cell homeostasis during viral bronchiolitis and later-life asthma.
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Tailoring the infant gut microbiota to enhance neonatal immune development
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
The Influence of Soil pH on Microbial Community Structure and Function
(2023) Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
(2021) Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Effects of engineered nanomaterials on soil microbial diversity
(2020) Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
(2022) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Evaluating the Efficacy of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria In Australian Agriculture
(2021) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
The influence of maternal diet on microbiome assembly and severity of viral bronchiolitis in the offspring
(2020) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
A microdialysis perspective of soil nitrogen availability
(2019) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
(2018) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Isolation and characterisation of new antimicrobial compounds from soil and food microorganisms
(2018) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Effects of strategic tillage and plant hormone treatments on wheat-associated microbial communities
(2017) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Invasive potential of the weed Parthenium hysterophorus - the role of allelopathy
(2016) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
Microbial diversity along a pH gradient
Soil microorganisms play critical roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. In this project, we will characterise the diversity of soil bacteria, archaea, fungi and other microeukarya along a pH gradient from Rothamsted, UK. Soil pH strongly influences microbial diversity. The relationship between diversity and other attributes of community structure, however, are poorly understood. In this project we will investigate the effect of species loss on community structure. This work has ramifications for conservation of terrestrial biodiversity.
The language of attraction: How do plants attract microbial symbionts?
Plants release up to 50% of photosynthetically derived carbon from their roots as a complex mixture of organic compounds known as root exudates. These compounds fuel diverse root-associated microbial communities that consist of plant growth-promoting species as well as those that cause disease or compete with plants for resources. By changing the mixture of exudates released from their roots, plants are thought to exert some level of control over the selection of their microbial symbionts.
Current evidence indicates that most root-associated microorganisms are chemotactic, i.e. they have the ability to sense substrates released by roots and direct movement towards them. This ability enables them to respond rapidly to resources as they become available and out-compete neighboring populations. At present there is no information regarding the selectivity of different exudate components for specific groups of chemotactic organisms. Here, we will use a novel chemotaxis assay in combination with high-throughput sequencing and flow cytometry to identify and enumerate microorganisms that respond to different root exudate components. This information will identify exudates that are strongly associated with the recruitment of beneficial and/or deleterious organisms and should facilitate the development of crops that select for beneficial root-microbial communities.
The influence of nutrient deficiencies on root exudation
Plants exude a complex mixture of organic compounds from their roots, which alter the availability of plant nutrients and fuel diverse microbial communities that influence plant health and nutrition. Nutrient deficiencies affect large areas of agricultural land. Nutrient deficiencies are known to strongly influence root exudation but these effects are poorly understood. Changes in root exudation could reduce crop yields by negatively affecting plant nutrient uptake and plant-microbe interactions. For this reason, better understanding of the effects of nutrient deficiencies on root exudation is needed to predict future food security. In this project, plants will be grown under differ nutrient deficiencies and root exudates will be collected and analyses using advanced chromatography and mass spectrometry methods.
Isolation of plant stress tolerance enhancing microbes
Nutrient deficiencies and drought are major agricultural constraints. Fertilisers and irrigation help to alleviate these issues, but rely on non-renewable resources and contribute to environmental degradation. By 2050 there will be nine billion people on Earth, which places food security at the top of society’s challenges for the 21st century1. Soils harbour a wide variety of microbial taxa that significantly enhance plant nutrient acquisition and drought tolerance. These organisms could be used to more sustainably maintain, or enhance, global food security. In this project, microbes will be isolated from the roots of stressed plants and then screened for attributes that promote plant fitness under drought and nutrient stress.
Microbial diversity along a 750 km drought gradient
Soil microorganisms play critical roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. In this project, we will characterise the diversity of soil bacteria, archaea, fungi and other microeukarya along a 750 km moisture gradient in South Australia. The incidence of drought is predicted to increase with climate change so better understanding of how drought influences microbially mediated ecosystems processes is key to our ability to maintain food security in the future.
Banana microbiome
Banana’s are one of Queensland’s main agricultural products. Microorganisms influence the health and nutrition of banana’s but the identities of microbes that live in association with banana’s are largely unknown. In his project we will apply high throughput sequencing technologies to characterise the banana microbiome and its role in plant growth promotion and disease prevention.