Professor Petr Baldrian is a distinguished leader in environmental microbiology and microbial ecology, currently serving as Head of the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology at the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He earned his Microbiology degree from Charles University in Prague in 1996 and completed his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the same institution in 2000, establishing his research career at the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS where he has led his laboratory for over two decades. His professional trajectory includes significant leadership roles, most notably his appointment as President of the Czech Science Foundation in November 2021, where he now shapes national research priorities while maintaining his active scientific contributions. Professor Baldrian also holds a professorship in Environmental Sciences at Charles University in Prague, where he teaches specialized courses in microbial ecology, demonstrating his commitment to education and mentorship.
Professor Baldrian's research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of soil microbial communities, particularly focusing on the ecology of soil fungi and bacteria, mycorrhizal symbioses, and ecosystem processes mediated by microorganisms. His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 250 publications in high-impact journals accumulating more than 20,000 citations, establishing him as a Highly Cited Researcher whose work spans forest ecosystems, grasslands, and arctic tundra environments. He pioneered the development of global databases including GlobalFungi and GlobalAMFungi, which have become essential resources for microbial ecologists worldwide, enabling large-scale analyses of microbial biogeography and responses to environmental change. His innovative research program systematically investigates how climate change and human management practices affect microbial communities and their critical ecosystem functions, providing foundational knowledge for sustainable ecosystem management.
Beyond his research contributions, Professor Baldrian has significantly shaped the international microbial ecology community through his founding and organization of the influential 'Ecology of Soil Microorganisms' conference series and active participation in other major scientific symposia. He serves in editorial leadership roles for prestigious journals including Microbiome, ISME Journal, Fungal Ecology, and FEMS Microbiology Ecology, helping guide the direction of the field through scholarly communication. His laboratory maintains strong international collaborations with institutions across Europe and the United States, fostering a global network of researchers addressing pressing environmental challenges through microbial ecology. Professor Baldrian continues to advance the frontiers of environmental microbiology with his current research examining the effects of tree harvesting on soil microbiomes under various mycorrhizal conditions, positioning his work at the critical intersection of microbial ecology, forestry, and climate change adaptation strategies.
