Project Summary

Main Question:

 

Antibiotic resistance is on track to become the leading cause of global mortality by 2050. While researchers race to find the next generation of cures, the answers may be buried right beneath our feet. Forest soils harbor vast reservoirs of antibiotic-producing bacteria, which have already given us the majority of our existing antibiotics. In September 2025, researchers at Rockefeller University discovered two new antibiotic compounds from a single soil sample, proving that temperate forests continue to hold massive untapped therapeutic potential.

 

But not all forests are equal in this potential. Research shows that diverse soil microbial communities are more likely to yield novel antibiotics. Yet no existing rapid assessment tool incorporates soil microbial indicators; current methods either require expensive lab work or ignore belowground communities entirely. However, peer-reviewed field studies have established direct links between visible habitat features—canopy cover, coarse woody debris, leaf litter depth, plant diversity, distance from forest edge—and soil microbial diversity. 

 

My project asks: Can we bridge the critical gap between ecological research and conservation practice by translating scientific literature into a field-deployable tool for practitioners, creating a practical way to assess soil health and enable evidence-based forest management? 

 

Steps:

 

I will develop and field-test the Habitat-Based Microbial Recovery Index (hMRI)—a tool that translates five forest features into a diagnostic profile assessing conditions associated with soil microbial recovery potential. The model will be built on temperate forest research, with field testing in New England.   

 

Weeks 1-2: Build the hMRI, establish reference ranges for each habitat variable, and draft field measurement protocols.

Weeks 3-4: Collect field data at contrasting rewilded and degraded forest sites. Measure habitat variables plus contextual information. Evaluate hMRI profiles against success criteria.

Weeks 5-6: Interpret findings, gather practitioner feedback to refine protocols, and produce deliverables including photo references and practical guide for land managers.

 

Impact:

 

This project empowers land managers to make evidence-based decisions by giving them access to information that was previously out of reach. While built on temperate forest research and tested in New England, the approach is adaptable to forest systems around the globe. More broadly, it reframes how we value forests. If recognized as public health infrastructure that harbors the microbial diversity future medicines may depend on, protecting them becomes a health priority, not just an environmental one. This reframing could attract funding, attention, and policy interest well beyond the conservation community.