Torsten Thomas

Professor Torsten Thomas is a distinguished academic in the field of microbiology at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He serves as Director of the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation (CMSI), which he formed during 2018-2020, and previously directed the Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation (CMB) from 2016.

Professor Thomas earned his Master's degree from Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University in Bonn, Germany (1996) and his PhD from the University of New South Wales (2001). His academic journey includes working as a Senior Scientist at Nucleics Pty Ltd (2001-2004), followed by a Senior Research Associate position at the Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation at UNSW. He became a Senior Research Fellow after receiving an ARC fellowship (2006-2009), transitioned to Senior Lecturer at the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences in 2009, was appointed Associate Professor in 2013, and promoted to Professor in 2017 after receiving an ARC Future Fellowship in 2014.

His research focuses on understanding microbial communities (microbiomes) and their critical role in influencing the performance and health of higher host organisms, particularly in marine environments. Professor Thomas and his team employ -omics approaches combined with bioinformatics and modeling to predict functional and ecological properties of microbiomes, followed by directed experiments to validate these predictions. His primary research projects include investigating molecular interactions in bacteria-sponge symbiosis, studying symbiotic carbon dioxide fixation in the deep-sea, and developing probiotics for the marine environment to improve the health of seaweeds, shrimp, corals, and other marine species. His work often involves deep-sea expeditions, -omics analysis, metabolic modeling, and isotope analysis.

Professor Thomas has published extensively with 238 journal articles, 2 books, 11 book chapters, and numerous conference papers and presentations. His research has made significant contributions to understanding microbe-host interactions, marine microbiome manipulation, and carbon sequestration in marine environments.

• Fellowship from the American Australian Association (2005)
• Fellowship from the Australian Research Council (ARC) (2006-2009)
• ARC Future Fellowship (2014)

Professor Thomas currently supervises multiple Postdoctoral researchers including Dr. Emmanuelle Botte, Dr. Jadranka Nappi, Dr. Michelle Allen, and Dr. Shan Zhang, as well as several PhD students. His research has received significant grant funding, particularly through the Australian Research Council, supporting his work on marine microbiomes and their applications in environmental protection and aquaculture. He maintains active collaborations with industry partners in the aquaculture sector, translating fundamental research into practical applications for marine conservation and food production.

As Director of the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, Professor Thomas leads a multidisciplinary team focused on understanding and protecting marine ecosystems through innovative research approaches. His laboratory combines molecular biology, bioinformatics, and ecological fieldwork to address pressing challenges in marine science, with particular emphasis on microbiome manipulation as a tool for environmental protection and sustainable aquaculture.