I am an Assistant Professor of Biology at Ave Maria University. My research has centered on how root microbiomes assemble from agricultural soils using synthetic bacterial communities. In particular, I have examined the context-dependence of microbial lifestyle — how the same organism can promote growth, persist as a commensal, or cause disease depending on the biotic environment it inhabits — and what this means for the development and evaluation of biological inputs in agriculture.
Esteban Veliz
Plant Biologist, Microbial Ecologist & Educator