The James and Julie Bockheim Distinguished Lecture in Soil Science
“The Soil Genesis of Plant Molecular Biology – A Shift from an Adaptationist to a Metabolic View of Soil-Plant Feedback”
By Dr. Jean-Thomas Cornelis, Associate Professor, Applied Biology (Soil Science, Faculty of Land & Food Systems, Univ. of British Columbia
Wednesday, December 10, 2025, @ 3:30 to 4:20 pm, 270 Soils Bldg. {Reception immediately following the presentation in the Jackson-Tanner Commons}
Abstract: The global importance of the silicon (Si) cycle lies in its interaction with carbon (C) and its influence on global primary productivity. We have shown the existence of a shift from abiotic towards biotic controls on the Si cycle, when the degree of soil weathering increased, with potential important controls of soil nutrient-limitation on root exudation processes and mobilization of Si from soil minerals. These discoveries open new exciting research avenues to investigate the role of these bioweathering processes in terrestrial ecosystems, with some important implications for sustainable agricultural practices. We believe that the role of these processes in the Si terrestrial cycle lays the groundwork for the future success of regenerative agriculture, partly based on benefits associated with enhanced root activity
Bio: Dr. Jean-Thomas (JT) Cornelis, SoilRes3 PI, is pedologist and biogeochemist by training, Belgian by birth, and enthusiast by nature. He is Associate Professor in Soil Science at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia. He received a PhD from the Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) in 2010. His research investigates soil processes controlling biogeochemical cycles of elements and how soil-plant feedback interactions respond to environmental changes. His process-based approach focuses on the soil system, which is by nature multi-scale and interdisciplinary. JT takes as an advantage the complexity and diversity of soil processes to teach students the notion of critical thinking and complex thought. JT is an outdoor enthusiast, big fan of surrealism, he loves to brainstorm new ideas about soils and the environment.
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