Marcela Hernández is a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow at the School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia. Her work focuses on environmental microbiology, particularly the diversity and function of soil microbiomes in extreme environments. Education: PhD in Natural Resource Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile MSc in Natural Resource Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile BSc, Universidad Católica Ssma. Concepción, Chile Her research explores: (1) antimicrobial resistance gene dynamics in soils, and (2) microbial oxidation of trace gases (CO, CH4) in volcanic and Arctic ecosystems. She employs metagenomics, stable isotope probing, and field campaigns across Chile, the US, and the Arctic. Research Output Trends: Her 15 most recent articles span soil microbial ecology, climate change impacts on microbiota, and trace gas metabolism. Topics include volcanic soil colonization, methane oxidation in agricultural systems, and antimicrobial resistance in extreme environments. Scientific Roles: Chief Editor, Letters in Applied Microbiology (2022–) Senior Editor, Journal of Applied Microbiology (2019–2023) Trustee, Society for Applied Microbiology (2019–2022) Awards: Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship Humboldt Fellow (twice) NERC Research Associate Grants from Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation Collaborative Projects: Currently leads research on Arctic soil warming impacts, soil re-carbonization resistomes, and methane cycling in dairy cattle systems. Collaborates with institutions in Chile, the US, Germany, and the UK.








