Professor Andrew Neal is a distinguished soil scientist whose pioneering work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of plant-microbe-soil interactions at the systems level. He currently serves as a Senior Research Scientist in Soil Microbiology at Rothamsted Research within the Net Zero and Resilient Farming department, bringing extensive expertise developed over a distinguished career spanning multiple continents. After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Wales in 1995, Neal established his research foundation through positions at Montana State University's Center for Biofilm Engineering and the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. His pivotal career transition to Rothamsted Research in 2007 positioned him at the forefront of soil microbiome research, where he has developed transformative theoretical frameworks that reconceptualize soil as an extended composite phenotype shaped by microbial activity.
Dr. Neal's most significant contribution lies in his development of the theoretical framework viewing soil as an extended composite phenotype of the resident microbiome, which has revolutionized how scientists understand the relationship between soil structure and biological processes. His internationally recognized research demonstrated that soil management practices alter microbiome diversity, community traits, and assembly processes more significantly than previously understood, with his landmark 2021 publication in mSystems becoming a cornerstone reference in the field. By leveraging Rothamsted's unparalleled long-term field experiments spanning nearly two centuries, Neal has provided critical evidence of how soil microbiomes respond to agricultural practices over extended timeframes, revealing that when grassland is converted to arable land, new microbial species emerge without necessarily filling the same ecological roles. This work has provided essential insights for developing sustainable agricultural practices that work with, rather than against, natural soil biological processes.
Beyond his research achievements, Professor Neal maintains an extensive international collaborative portfolio, working with colleagues across Australia, Brazil, China, India, and Uruguay to advance sustainable agricultural practices through microbiome management. He holds significant leadership roles as Subject Editor for Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Assistant Editor for the European Journal of Soil Science, and served as Editor for FEMS Microbiology Ecology's special edition on sustainable agriculture through soil microbiome management. His recognition as an Honorary Professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham underscores his substantial contributions to academic mentorship and the training of next-generation soil scientists. Currently, Neal continues to pioneer research at the intersection of soil science and microbiology, focusing on how to harness soil microbiomes to create more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems capable of meeting the challenges of climate change while maintaining productivity.
