Soil microbiology and microbial ecology.
In my research, I try to understand:

1) How do soil microbes help plants grow and cope with abiotic stresses?
2) Are the soil microbiomes framed by the plant hosts and the environmental conditions?
3) Are the microbes from drylands "cool"?
4) Are the diazotrophic bacteria feasible tools to improve plant growth and nutrition in dry environments?

With these central questions in mind, we are working hard on selecting soil microbes to be applied as bioproducts for agriculture and/or land reclamation in the Brazilian drylands.

Embrapa Semiárido is located in the heart of the Brazilian drylands. We work seeking science-based solutions to agriculture and environmental problems in the Brazilian drylands.