Dr. Mehdi Rashtbari is a soil microbial ecologist and researcher at the Department of Soil and Plant Microbiome, Institute of Phytopathology, Kiel University (Germany). His research focuses on the functional dynamics of soil microbiomes in agroecosystems, with particular emphasis on carbon and nitrogen cycling processes, enzyme kinetics, and microbial metabolic activity. He integrates molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches, including shotgun metagenomics, soil respiration and calorimetry, in situ rhizosphere analyses, and quantitative enzyme kinetic modeling (Vmax and Km determination).
Dr. Rashtbari’s work aims to bridge microbial community structure with ecosystem-level functional resilience under agricultural intensification and environmental stress. He has led and contributed to international collaborations addressing soil health, crop succession effects, and microbial functional adaptation in contrasting climatic regions. Through interdisciplinary research and transnational partnerships, he contributes to advancing sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient soil management within European research frameworks.
The Joint Unit of Research is composed of two complementary research teams from Kiel University (Germany) and the University of Algarve (Portugal), combining expertise in soil microbial ecology, functional biogeochemistry, and environmental microbiology.
The unit is coordinated by Dr. Mehdi Rashtbari (Kiel University, Department of Soil and Plant Microbiome), whose research focuses on soil microbial functional ecology, enzyme kinetics of carbon and nitrogen cycling processes, soil respiration and calorimetry, and shotgun metagenomic analysis of agroecosystems.
The Portuguese partner team is led by Dr. Proença (University of Algarve, Faculty of Sciences and Technology), contributing expertise in environmental microbiomes, bacterial isolation and characterization, phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) structural profiling, and microbial biotechnology potential.
The Joint Unit operates through an integrated analytical framework structured around five complementary components:
- Molecular Analysis – Shotgun metagenomics for taxonomic and functional gene profiling.
- Biochemical Assessment – Enzyme kinetics (Vmax, Km) to evaluate catalytic efficiency of carbon and nitrogen cycling enzymes.
- Physiological Measurements – Soil respiration and calorimetric approaches to quantify microbial metabolic activity.
- Structural Profiling – PLFA-based assessment of microbial biomass and community composition.
- Culture-Dependent Characterization – Isolation and functional screening of soil bacterial strains.
This transnational structure ensures methodological complementarity, reciprocal exchange of materials and expertise, and coordinated data integration. The Joint Unit provides a foundation for long-term collaboration within the SEA-EU framework, including joint publications, student mobility, and future European funding proposals.
Dr. Mehdi Rashtbari is a soil microbial ecologist specializing in the functional dynamics of soil microbiomes in agroecosystems. His research focuses on integrating molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches to understand how agricultural practices influence microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycling processes. He has extensive expertise in enzyme kinetics (including Vmax and Km determination), soil respiration and calorimetry, in situ rhizosphere analyses, and shotgun metagenomics for functional gene profiling. His work emphasizes the mechanistic interpretation of soil microbial activity under environmental stress and crop succession systems. Through interdisciplinary and transnational collaborations, Dr. Rashtbari aims to bridge microbial community structure with ecosystem-level functional resilience, contributing to sustainable soil management and climate-resilient agriculture within European research frameworks.
The research group has expertise in integrative soil microbiome analysis combining molecular, biochemical, physiological, and culture-based methodologies. Core technological competencies include:
Shotgun Metagenomics: DNA extraction from complex soil matrices, library preparation coordination, bioinformatic processing, taxonomic profiling, and functional gene annotation for carbon and nitrogen cycling pathways.
Soil Enzyme Kinetics: Determination of Michaelis–Menten parameters (Vmax, Km) for key carbon- and nitrogen-related enzymes, enabling mechanistic assessment of catalytic efficiency and substrate affinity.
Soil Respiration and Calorimetry: Measurement of basal respiration, microbial metabolic activity, and heat production to quantify carbon mineralization dynamics.
Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) Analysis: Structural microbial biomass profiling and community composition assessment.
Microbial Isolation and Characterization: Cultivation, purification, and functional screening of soil bacterial strains for ecological and applied research.
Multi-layer Data Integration: Statistical modeling and cross-platform integration of molecular, biochemical, and physiological datasets.
The research group operates within a transnational collaborative framework established through the SEA-EU Research Seed Fund 2025, uniting Kiel University (Germany) and the University of Algarve (Portugal). This partnership integrates complementary expertise in soil microbial functional ecology, molecular microbiology, biogeochemistry, and environmental microbiomes.
The cooperation is based on reciprocal exchange of materials, harmonized laboratory methodologies, joint data integration, and bilateral researcher mobility. Through coordinated soil sampling campaigns, shared analytical workflows, and invited scientific lectures at both institutions, the collaboration has evolved into a structured Joint Unit of Research with long-term strategic alignment.
The partnership aims to expand toward joint peer-reviewed publications, co-supervision of graduate students, and collaborative applications to competitive European funding programs, including Horizon Europe. The group is open to interdisciplinary cooperation within the SEA-EU alliance and beyond, particularly in areas related to soil health, climate-resilient agriculture, and microbiome-driven innovation.
Nikolaos Kaloterakis, Andrea Braun-Kiewnick, Mehdi Rashtbari, Adriana Giongo, Doreen Babin, Priscilla M. Zamberlan, Bahar S. Razavib Kornelia Smalla, Rüdiger Reichel, Nicolas Brüggemann.2026. Bacillus seed coating mitigates early growth reduction in successive winter wheat without altering rhizosphere bacterial and archaeal communities. BMC Biology, 26(163). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08128-2.
Nikolaos Kaloterakis, Mehdi Rashtbari, Rüdiger Reichel, Bahar S Razavi, Nicolas Brüggemann. 2025. Compost Application Compensates Yield Loss in a Successive Winter Wheat Rotation: Evidence from a Multiple Isotope Labelling Study. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. 4:e70079. https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70079.
Kaloterakis, N., Rashtbari, M., Razavi, B.S., Braun-Kiewnick, A., Giongo, A., Smalla, K., Kummer, C., Kummer, S., Reichel, R., Brüggemann, N. 2024. Preceding crop legacy modulates the early growth of winter wheat by influencing root growth dynamics, rhizosphere processes, and microbial interactions. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 191: 109343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109343.
Duyen T.T.H.*, Mehdi Rashtbari*, Luu The Anh, Shang Wang, Dang Thanh Tu, Nguyen Viet Hiep, Bahar S.Razavi (2022) Mutualistic interaction between arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi and soybean roots enhances drought resistant through regulating glucose exudation and rhizosphere expansion. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 171, 108728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108728. (*Two first authors equally contributed)
Kaloterakis, N., Rashtbari, M., Razavi, B.S., Braun-Kiewnick, A., Giongo, A., Smalla, K., Kummer, C., Kummer, S., Reichel, R., Brüggemann, N. 2024. Preceding crop legacy modulates the early growth of winter wheat by influencing root growth dynamics, rhizosphere processes, and microbial interactions. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 191: 109343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109343.