Thomas Reitz

Dr. Thomas Reitz is a Guest Scientist at the Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, and since 2025 has served as Scientific Leader of the Crop Research Unit at the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). His research focuses on soil microbial communities in the context of global change, land use, and plant-microbe interactions. He is actively involved in large-scale experimental platforms such as the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) and the APPLE analytical pipeline.

• Ph.D. in Applied Natural Sciences, Helmholtz-Centre Dresden-Rossendorf / TU Bergakademie Freiberg (2011)
• Diploma in Biology (Microbiology), TU Dresden (2006)

Dr. Reitz’s research interests center on the structure and function of soil microbial communities, their adaptation to environmental stressors (drought, heavy metals, pathogens), and their role in terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycles. He investigates how the soil microbiome contributes to plant growth and stress resistance, integrating molecular, biochemical, and ecological techniques. His work spans microbial community analyses, enzyme assays, and spectroscopic methods.

The recent publications highlight a strong focus on soil-plant-microbe interactions under global change conditions, including climate manipulation, land-use intensity, fertilization regimes, and drought stress. Key themes include nutrient cycling, microbial resilience, synthetic microbial communities, phytoremediation, and sustainable agricultural practices. The studies employ experimental field and lab platforms, often involving long-term monitoring and meta-analyses.

Dr. Reitz has no listed scientific awards in the provided text.

He contributes to research coordination, particularly in third-party funded projects, and mentors collaborative research efforts. His work is embedded in national and international consortia, including the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv). He collaborates extensively across disciplines and institutions, contributing to large-scale ecological experiments and analytical developments.

He is involved in major research platforms: the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF), where he coordinates third-party funding; the APPLE pipeline for soil eco-indicators; and the PhytOakmeter network. These platforms support integrative research on soil functions, microbial dynamics, and ecosystem responses to environmental change.