Confirmed Speakers
We are proud to present a world-class lineup of confirmed speakers for SeedCon 2026. These leading voices in seed microbiome and microbial inheritance research will shape the conversation, share groundbreaking insights, and inspire the future of this rapidly evolving field. More distinguished speakers will be announced soon, so stay tuned as the program continues to grow.
Ashley Shade
Ashley Shade is a Director of Research with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Her research aims to understand how environmental microbial communities adapt and achieve resilience to climate change. Her lab employs quantitative and 'omics technologies, along with field and laboratory experiments, to gain a systems-level understanding of microbiome responses to environmental stress. Her current Horizon Europe Consolidator award, "MicroRescue," focuses on understanding which soil and rhizosphere bacteria awaken from an inactive state in response to warming and drought, and the consequences of these awakenings for maintaining critical microbial functions within ecosystems. Dr. Shade is a 2025 recipient of the United States Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, presented by President Biden, the highest U.S. honor bestowed upon young researchers. She serves as the editor-in-chief of the American Society for Microbiology's journal mSystems.
Ashley Shade is a Director of Research with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Her research aims to understand how environmental microbial communities adapt and achieve resilience to climate change. Her lab employs quantitative and 'omics technologies, along with field and laboratory experiments, to gain a systems-level understanding of microbiome responses to environmental stress. Her current Horizon Europe Consolidator award, "MicroRescue," focuses on understanding which soil and rhizosphere bacteria awaken from an inactive state in response to warming and drought, and the consequences of these awakenings for maintaining critical microbial functions within ecosystems. Dr. Shade is a 2025 recipient of the United States Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, presented by President Biden, the highest U.S. honor bestowed upon young researchers. She serves as the editor-in-chief of the American Society for Microbiology's journal mSystems.
Gabriele Berg
Gabriele Berg studied biology, ecology and biotechnology at the universities in Rostock and Greifswald (Germany), and obtained her Ph.D. in 1995 in microbiology from Rostock University. In 2005 she became a full professor in environmental biotechnology at Graz University of Technology (Austria), and in 2021 an additional professorship in Potsdam together with leading the department Microbiome Biotechnology at Leibniz ATB (Germany). Since 2025 she has been a Max Planck fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam. Her interests are focused on microbiome research and translation of the results into new biotechnological concepts for health issues. In addition, she is one of the international drivers of the interdisciplinary field of microbiome biotechnology. She belongs to the most cited researchers worldwide (highly cited researcher 2019-21, 2024), and received several high-ranking awards. She is vice president of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME).
Gabriele Berg studied biology, ecology and biotechnology at the universities in Rostock and Greifswald (Germany), and obtained her Ph.D. in 1995 in microbiology from Rostock University. In 2005 she became a full professor in environmental biotechnology at Graz University of Technology (Austria), and in 2021 an additional professorship in Potsdam together with leading the department Microbiome Biotechnology at Leibniz ATB (Germany). Since 2025 she has been a Max Planck fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam. Her interests are focused on microbiome research and translation of the results into new biotechnological concepts for health issues. In addition, she is one of the international drivers of the interdisciplinary field of microbiome biotechnology. She belongs to the most cited researchers worldwide (highly cited researcher 2019-21, 2024), and received several high-ranking awards. She is vice president of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME).
Marie Simonin
Marie Simonin is an INRAE researcher (IRHS, Angers, France) whose work centers on seed microbiota and microbial community ecology, exploring how microbes interact with seeds and influence plant health from the earliest life stages. Her team uses synthetic communities inoculations to investigate the mechanisms of microbial inheritance across plant generations. By assembling defined microbial consortia and inoculating plants, she explores how specific microbial members are transmitted from parent plants to offspring, shaping the initial microbiota of the next generation. This work provides insights into the processes by which beneficial microbes can be maintained and propagated through plants, informing strategies for enhanced crop health and sustainable agriculture.
Marie Simonin is an INRAE researcher (IRHS, Angers, France) whose work centers on seed microbiota and microbial community ecology, exploring how microbes interact with seeds and influence plant health from the earliest life stages. Her team uses synthetic communities inoculations to investigate the mechanisms of microbial inheritance across plant generations. By assembling defined microbial consortia and inoculating plants, she explores how specific microbial members are transmitted from parent plants to offspring, shaping the initial microbiota of the next generation. This work provides insights into the processes by which beneficial microbes can be maintained and propagated through plants, informing strategies for enhanced crop health and sustainable agriculture.
Seth Bordenstein
Dr. Seth Bordenstein is a leading microbiome scientist and Director of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State University, uniting over 550 members across agriculture, environment, and human health. For 25 years, his research has revealed the central role of microbes in host biology, from harnessing bacteria to control mosquito-borne diseases to uncovering microbiome diversity across humans and the animal kingdom. He is also Professor of Biology and Entomology and the founding Director of Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project, a global science education program. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Genetics Society of America Award for Excellence in Education (2020), the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair (2022), and recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (since 2023).
Dr. Seth Bordenstein is a leading microbiome scientist and Director of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State University, uniting over 550 members across agriculture, environment, and human health. For 25 years, his research has revealed the central role of microbes in host biology, from harnessing bacteria to control mosquito-borne diseases to uncovering microbiome diversity across humans and the animal kingdom. He is also Professor of Biology and Entomology and the founding Director of Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project, a global science education program. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Genetics Society of America Award for Excellence in Education (2020), the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair (2022), and recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (since 2023).
Matthieu Barret
Matthieu Barret is microbiologist by training. He received his Ph.D (Agrocampus Ouest Rennes, France) in 2009 working on the functioning of mixed bacterial-fungal communities in the rhizosphere. After a post-doctoral work at the BIOMERIT Research Centre (University College Cork, Ireland) on bacterial secretion systems, he was hired as INRAE research scientist in 2012 (IRHS, Angers, France). Since 2022, M. Barret heads the EmerSys group (@emersys-irhs.bsky.social), working on the processes involved in the assembly of the seed microbiota. He is the coordinator of the SUCSEED project, which aims to identify and develop novel solutions adapted to seed protection.
Matthieu Barret is microbiologist by training. He received his Ph.D (Agrocampus Ouest Rennes, France) in 2009 working on the functioning of mixed bacterial-fungal communities in the rhizosphere. After a post-doctoral work at the BIOMERIT Research Centre (University College Cork, Ireland) on bacterial secretion systems, he was hired as INRAE research scientist in 2012 (IRHS, Angers, France). Since 2022, M. Barret heads the EmerSys group (@emersys-irhs.bsky.social), working on the processes involved in the assembly of the seed microbiota. He is the coordinator of the SUCSEED project, which aims to identify and develop novel solutions adapted to seed protection.
Birgit Wassermann
Birgit Wassermann studied Plant Sciences and Molecular Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology and obtained her PhD in Environmental Biotechnology from Graz University of Technology (Austria). As Senior Researcher at the Austrian Institute for Industrial Biotechnology (acib) she conducted industry-relevant research in cooperation with plant breeding and crop protection companies including BASF, AKREMI, NPZ, San Agrow. Currently, she holds a Tenure Track position at the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at Graz University of Technology. Her research focuses on microbiome analyses and biotechnology. She primarily aims to investigate plant-microbiome interactions in the context of climate change and to develop innovative microbiome-based strategies for sustainable agriculture. Her work involves studying natural ecosystems, with particular emphasis on plant seeds, to elucidate fundamental functions of the plant holobiont.
Birgit Wassermann studied Plant Sciences and Molecular Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology and obtained her PhD in Environmental Biotechnology from Graz University of Technology (Austria). As Senior Researcher at the Austrian Institute for Industrial Biotechnology (acib) she conducted industry-relevant research in cooperation with plant breeding and crop protection companies including BASF, AKREMI, NPZ, San Agrow. Currently, she holds a Tenure Track position at the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at Graz University of Technology. Her research focuses on microbiome analyses and biotechnology. She primarily aims to investigate plant-microbiome interactions in the context of climate change and to develop innovative microbiome-based strategies for sustainable agriculture. Her work involves studying natural ecosystems, with particular emphasis on plant seeds, to elucidate fundamental functions of the plant holobiont.
Tomislav Cernava
Tomislav Cernava is an associate professor at the University of Southampton. His research is primarily focussed on obtaining mechanistic insights into microbiome functioning. Several of his previous studies specifically addressed the seed microbiome and its role in plant health as well as identifying factors that influence seed microbiome composition. Tomislav is currently involved as a PI in several research projects, including such that are funded by Horizon Europe and different national funding bodies. He is also a Working Group (Biological and Integrated Control of Plant Pathogens) convenor for the International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC).
Tomislav Cernava is an associate professor at the University of Southampton. His research is primarily focussed on obtaining mechanistic insights into microbiome functioning. Several of his previous studies specifically addressed the seed microbiome and its role in plant health as well as identifying factors that influence seed microbiome composition. Tomislav is currently involved as a PI in several research projects, including such that are funded by Horizon Europe and different national funding bodies. He is also a Working Group (Biological and Integrated Control of Plant Pathogens) convenor for the International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC).
Stéphane Compant
Dr. Stéphane Compant is a Senior Scientist at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in Austria, specializing in plant-microbe interactions and microbial ecology. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and his habilitation from the University of Bordeaux in France. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse in France before working at AIT. Dr. Compant is recognized for his extensive research on the ecology and functions of plant-associated microorganisms. His work focuses on plant-microbe interactions, biocontrol of plant diseases, biostimulation, and the development of biopesticides to combat pests and diseases. SC has over 20 years of experience in molecular microbiology and plant pathology, has coordinated numerous national and international research projects, and has served on various scientific boards and committees.
Dr. Stéphane Compant is a Senior Scientist at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in Austria, specializing in plant-microbe interactions and microbial ecology. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and his habilitation from the University of Bordeaux in France. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse in France before working at AIT. Dr. Compant is recognized for his extensive research on the ecology and functions of plant-associated microorganisms. His work focuses on plant-microbe interactions, biocontrol of plant diseases, biostimulation, and the development of biopesticides to combat pests and diseases. SC has over 20 years of experience in molecular microbiology and plant pathology, has coordinated numerous national and international research projects, and has served on various scientific boards and committees.
Massimiliano Cardinale
Massimiliano Cardinale obtained the Master degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Palermo (Italy) in 2000 and obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Remediation from University of Palermo in 2005. He worked as Researcher at the University of Graz (Austria) from 2006 to 2008, at the Graz University Technology (Austria) from 2008 to 2013, and at the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen (Germany) from 2013 to 2018. From 2018 to 2021 has been tenure track professor at the University of Salento (Italy) and, since 2021, was confirmed as Associate Professor. His research mainly focuses on microbial ecology, plant-soil-microbe interactions, and application of beneficial microbes for sustainable agriculture. He was ranked among the Stanford's Top 2% Scientists for the years 2024 and 2025.
Massimiliano Cardinale obtained the Master degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Palermo (Italy) in 2000 and obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Remediation from University of Palermo in 2005. He worked as Researcher at the University of Graz (Austria) from 2006 to 2008, at the Graz University of Technology (Austria) from 2008 to 2013, and at the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen (Germany) from 2013 to 2018. From 2018 to 2021 has been tenure track professor at the University of Salento (Italy) and, since 2021, was confirmed as Associate Professor. His research mainly focuses on microbial ecology, plant-soil-microbe interactions, and application of beneficial microbes for sustainable agriculture. He was ranked among the Stanford's Top 2% Scientists for the years 2024 and 2025.
Carolina Lobato
Carolina Lobato is currently working at the Institute for Biological Data Science in the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf as a postdoctoral researcher. She is a microbial ecologist with a strong interest in plant-microbe interactions and the role of seed-associated microbial communities in plant health. She completed her PhD at Graz University of Technology, Austria, where she investigated how domestication shapes seed microbiomes and their functional contributions to plant fitness. She organizes and chairs the Seed Microbiome Working Group for early-career researchers together with Makrina Diakaki.
Carolina Lobato is currently working at the Institute for Biological Data Science in the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf as a postdoctoral researcher. She is a microbial ecologist with a strong interest in plant-microbe interactions and the role of seed-associated microbial communities in plant health. She completed her PhD at Graz University of Technology, Austria, where she investigated how domestication shapes seed microbiomes and their functional contributions to plant fitness. She organizes and chairs the Seed Microbiome Working Group for early-career researchers together with Makrina Diakaki.
Marta Robledo Garrido
Marta Robledo leads the “Environmental Microbiomes and RNA biotech” (EMiR) research group at the University of Cantabria (Spain). She received her research training at the University of Salamanca (Spain), at Synmikro (Germany), and at the Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish Reserch council), where she specialized in the molecular mechanisms governing the rhizobia-legume symbiosis, including the discovery and characterization of novel non-coding RNAs. Her current research focuses on developing control methods against plant pathogens such as Xylella fastidiosa, as well as developing plant biostimulants based on functional dynamics, genomics, RNomics, and the structure of the seed symbiotic microbiome. She is the principal investigator of the SEEDBIOSIS project, which explores the coevolution of vertically-transmitted endophytic bacteria with its host plant.
Daniel Garrido-Sanz
Daniel Garrido-Sanz is a lecturer and principal investigator at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), where he earned his PhD in Microbiology in 2020, with doctoral work on simplified bacterial consortia for the bioremediation of organic pollutants. From 2021 to 2025, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), investigating rhizosphere microbiome assembly, the integration of plant-beneficial inoculants, and microbiome functioning. His group (launched May 2025) studies how seed-borne and soil bacteria interact to assemble rhizosphere microbiomes of crops and how ecological principles—priority effects, niche partitioning, facilitation, and competition—govern early community dynamics and function. Combining cultivation, synthetic communities, and multi-omics, the group investigates the ecological dynamics of inherited bacteria to rationally steer plant microbiomes for crop health and resilience.
Daniel Garrido-Sanz is a lecturer and principal investigator at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), where he earned his PhD in Microbiology in 2020, with doctoral work on simplified bacterial consortia for the bioremediation of organic pollutants. From 2021 to 2025, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), investigating rhizosphere microbiome assembly, the integration of plant-beneficial inoculants, and microbiome functioning. His group (launched May 2025) studies how seed-borne and soil bacteria interact to assemble rhizosphere microbiomes of crops and how ecological principles—priority effects, niche partitioning, facilitation, and competition—govern early community dynamics and function. Combining cultivation, synthetic communities, and multi-omics, the group investigates the ecological dynamics of inherited bacteria to rationally steer plant microbiomes for crop health and resilience.
Manuel Delgado Baquerizo
Manuel Delgado Baquerizo is a senior researcher at the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS), which is part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). He leads the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Laboratory (BioFunLab) at IRNAS-CSIC. He also holds a PhD from the Pablo de Olavide University, where he defended his thesis on the effects of climate change on nitrogen dynamics in arid zones.
His research focuses on biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems, with a particular interest in soil biodiversity, ecosystem services, and microbiomes. He is the leader of global networks, including, for example, the Global Crop Microbiome Survey. He has received multiple awards for his work, including the National Young Researchers Award "Ángeles Alvariño" and the "Premio Fundación Banco Sabadell a las Ciencias y la Ingeniería."
Manuel Delgado Baquerizo is a senior researcher at the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS), which is part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). He leads the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Laboratory (BioFunLab) at IRNAS-CSIC. He also holds a PhD from the Pablo de Olavide University, where he defended his thesis on the effects of climate change on nitrogen dynamics in arid zones.
His research focuses on biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems, with a particular interest in soil biodiversity, ecosystem services, and microbiomes. He is the leader of global networks, including, for example, the Global Crop Microbiome Survey. He has received multiple awards for his work, including the National Young Researchers Award "Ángeles Alvariño" and the "Premio Fundación Banco Sabadell a las Ciencias y la Ingeniería."
Irene Sanz Puente
Dr. Sanz Puente Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (Germany). Her research focuses on the seed microbiome and the vertical transmission of endophytic microorganisms, aiming to enhance crop health, resilience, and sustainability.
Dr. Sanz Puente Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (Germany). Her research focuses on the seed microbiome and the vertical transmission of endophytic microorganisms, aiming to enhance crop health, resilience, and sustainability.
Gillian E Bergmann
Gillian E Bergmann is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Seed Microbiomes and Bioinformatics with Dr. Ahmed Abdelfattah’s group at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy. As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of California-Davis, she studied the contribution of floral transmission to seed microbiome assembly and some ecological processes affecting transmission success. She is broadly interested in processes affecting seed microbiome assembly and persistence, monitoring microbial biodiversity in plant seeds, and using seed microbiomes for sustainable agriculture and plant conservation. She is a member of the Seed Microbiome Working Group and the Microbes and Social Equity Working Group.
Gillian E Bergmann is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Seed Microbiomes and Bioinformatics with Dr. Ahmed Abdelfattah’s group at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy. As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of California-Davis, she studied the contribution of floral transmission to seed microbiome assembly and some ecological processes affecting transmission success. She is broadly interested in processes affecting seed microbiome assembly and persistence, monitoring microbial biodiversity in plant seeds, and using seed microbiomes for sustainable agriculture and plant conservation. She is a member of the Seed Microbiome Working Group and the Microbes and Social Equity Working Group.
Marco Incarbone
I obtained my PhD at the IBMP in Strasbourg, France, researching the molecular mechanisms mediating suppression of RNA interference by viruses in plants. After a short transitional postdoc in the Ritzenthaler lab, where I developed new techniques to isolate and characterize virus replication complexes, I moved to the Gregor Mendel Institute in Vienna, Austria, as a post-doctoral fellow. Here I joined the Mittelsten Scheid lab to investigate how plant stem cells and germlines efficiently prevent virus proliferation. These potent antiviral barriers are of crucial biological importance yet remains very poorly understood. In 2023 I have established my lab at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany, to broaden the study of stem cell and germline antiviral immunity
Gerhard Leubner
Professor Gerhard Leubner, Chair of Plant Biochemistry at Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL), has more than 30 years’ research experience in seed germination and seedling establishment of crop, weed and wild species. He obtained his PhD at Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB, Germany) with doctoral work at RUB and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (Switzerland). He leads RHUL's Seed Biology and Technology Group, a team conducting world-class impactful research using multi-disciplinary seed-focused approaches into food supply chain security and sustainability in collaboration with their international partner network in academia and industry, including Syngenta, KWS Seed SE, Tozer Seeds, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, European Space Agency. He is corresponding author of the highly cited Tansley review on seed dormancy and germination (New Phytologist 2006; ~3000 citations), curator of 'The Seed Biology Place' website (www.seedbiology.eu), and in 2021 was awarded the prestigeous Alfred Mayer Plenary Lecture by the International Society of Seed Science.
Marco Incarbone
I obtained my PhD at the IBMP in Strasbourg, France, researching the molecular mechanisms mediating suppression of RNA interference by viruses in plants. After a short transitional postdoc in the Ritzenthaler lab, where I developed new techniques to isolate and characterize virus replication complexes, I moved to the Gregor Mendel Institute in Vienna, Austria, as a post-doctoral fellow. Here I joined the Mittelsten Scheid lab to investigate how plant stem cells and germlines efficiently prevent virus proliferation. These potent antiviral barriers are of crucial biological importance yet remains very poorly understood. In 2023 I have established my lab at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany, to broaden the study of stem cell and germline antiviral immunity
Gerhard Leubner
Professor Gerhard Leubner, Chair of Plant Biochemistry at Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL), has more than 30 years’ research experience in seed germination and seedling establishment of crop, weed and wild species. He obtained his PhD at Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB, Germany) with doctoral work at RUB and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (Switzerland). He leads RHUL's Seed Biology and Technology Group, a team conducting world-class impactful research using multi-disciplinary seed-focused approaches into food supply chain security and sustainability in collaboration with their international partner network in academia and industry, including Syngenta, KWS Seed SE, Tozer Seeds, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, European Space Agency. He is corresponding author of the highly cited Tansley review on seed dormancy and germination (New Phytologist 2006; ~3000 citations), curator of 'The Seed Biology Place' website (www.seedbiology.eu), and in 2021 was awarded the prestigeous Alfred Mayer Plenary Lecture by the International Society of Seed Science.
Project number 573465830