Ian Lidbury

Dr Ian Lidbury is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and MMBD Comms Lead at the University of Sheffield's School of Biosciences. His research focuses on microbial ecophysiology, particularly linking microbial activity to ecosystem services such as food security and climate change mitigation. He holds a BBSRC Discovery Fellowship and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Warwick.

Education:

• PhD in Marine Microbiology (University of Warwick, 2011-2015)
• MRes in Marine Microbiology (Marine Biological Association & Plymouth University, 2010-2011)

Research Interests:

• Organic phosphorus cycling in plant-associated bacteria
• Soil polysaccharide degradation by Bacteroidetes
• Microbial interactions at the root-soil interface
• Meta-omics approaches to study soil microbiome function

Publications:

Recent work includes studies on phosphatase enzymes in marine cyanobacteria, nitrogen-phosphorus dynamics in soil, and bacterial adaptations to nutrient-poor environments. His lab employs multi-layered omics techniques combined with bacterial genetics to explore microbial ecophysiology.

Awards:

• Royal Society University Research Fellowship
• BBSRC Discovery Fellowship

Teaching & Mentorship:

• Teaches courses on microbial genetics and environmental microbiology
• Supervises PhD students in topics such as rhizosphere microbiology and biogeochemical cycles

Lab Collaborations:

Collaborates with Dr. Ellie Harrison (phage-rhizobia-legume interactions) and Prof. Tim Daniell (agroecosystem nitrogen cycling) at the Arthur Willis Environmental Centre.