Sara Hallin

Spara

Current teaching at the undergraduate level:

• Soil Biology and biogeochemistry, (MSc level, SLU, 15 hp).  Covers the basis in soil biology and the major biogeochemical cycles.
• Molecular and microbial ecology, (BSc level, SLU, 15 hp).
• Sustainable Plant Production - from Molecular to Field Scale (MSc level, SLU, 15 hp). On the basic principles of sustainable production in agriculture.

Ongoing research projects:

Basic research on nitrogen cycling

1. Unearthing the terrestrial nitrogen transforming network. KAW Scholar, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. PI S. Hallin, 2025-2029
2. Bio-inspired Management of Laughing Gas (MaLaGa): Identifying, Enriching, Genetically Optimizing and Implementing N2O Respiring Biocatalysts (N2ORB). Novo Nordisk Foundation. PI B. Smets, Aarhus University 2025-2027
3. Data driven analyses of the nitrogen cycling microbiome for predictions and novel insights on mechanisms of nitrous oxide emissions from terrestrial ecosystems (NTerraData). SciLifeLab & Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS). PI S. Hallin, 2024-2028
4. The many faces of nitrate ammonifying bacteria – Unraveling their role in nitrogen retention and loss, and nitrous oxide emissions in terrestrial ecosystems. Swedish Research Council. PI S. Hallin, 2024-2027

Agroecosystems

1. Retention-irrigation system to reduce negative impacts of climate change in agricultural landscapes (RETAIN). SLF. PI. M. Bieroza, SLU, 2025-2027
2. The capacity of crops for enhanced carbon allocation to soil in a changing climate - synergies and trade-offs. Swedish Research Council Formas. PI T. Keller, SLU, 2022-2026
3. Harnessing plant traits to retain nitrogen in the rhizosphere. Swedish Research Council Formas. PI A. Saghaï, SLU, 2022-2025

Arctic and boreal ecosystems

1. Soil organic matter dynamics in boreal forests – the role of mycorrhizal mycelia and microbial communities. Swedish Research Council. PI F. Fransson, SLU 2025-2028
2. Year-round climate feedbacks of winter phenological (mis)matches of plants and microbes across the Arctic. Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. PI E. Dorrepaal, Umeå university, Sweden, 2021-2025

Environmental engineering

1. Sulfate removal from mine leachate (SULFREM). Vinnova. PI R. Herbert, Uppsala univerity, 2022-2025
2. Treatment of low-contaminated soil with biochar produced from organic waste for sustainable resource use and circular economy (BALANCE). PI A. Enell, Swedish Geotechnical Institute SGI, 2022-2025

Full list: Google Scholar; Research Gate

Selected publications:

Saghaï, A., Hallin, S. 2024. Diversity and ecology of NrfA-dependent nitrate-ammonifying microorganisms. Trends in Microbiology, 32:602-613

Pold, G., Bonilla-Rosso, G., Saghaï, A., Strous, M., Jones, C.M., Hallin, S. 2024. 
Phylogenetics and environmental distribution of nitric oxide forming nitrite reductases reveals their distinct functional and ecological roles. ISME Communications, 4:ycae020

Qui, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, K., Xu, X., Zhao, Y., Bai, T., Zhao, Y., Wang, H., Sheng, X., Bloszies, S., Gillespie, C.J., He, T., Wang, Y., Chen, H., Guo, L., Song, H., Wang, Y., Woodley, A., Guo, J., Cheng., L., Bai, Y., Hallin, S., Firestone, M.K., Hu, S. 2024. Intermediate soil acidification induces highest nitrous oxide emissions. Nature Communications, 15:2695

Saghaï, A, Pold, G, Jones, CM, Hallin, S. 2023. Phyloecology of nitrate ammonifiers and their importance relative todenitrifiers in global terrestrial biomes. Nature Communications, 14:8249

Bösch, Y., Pold, G., Saghaï, A., Karlsson, M., Jones, C.M., Hallin, S. 2023. Distribution and environmental drivers of fungal denitrifiers in global soils. Microbiolgy Spectrum, 11: e00061-23

Jones, C.M., Putz, M., Emmerich, M., Hallin, S. 2022. Reactive nitrogen restructures and weakens microbial controls of soil N2O emissions. Communications Biology, 5:273

Garland, G., Edlinger, A., Banerjee, S., Degrune, F., García-Palacios, P., Pescador, D.S., Herzog, C., Romdhane, S., Saghaï, A., Spor, A., Wagg, C., Hallin, S., Maestre, F.T., Philippot, L., Rillig, M.C., van der Heijden, M.G.A. 2021. Crop cover is more important than rotational diversity for soil multifunctionality and cereal yields in European cropping systems. Nature Food, 2:28-37

Giovanni Tamburini, G., Bommarco, R., Wanger, T.C., Kremen, C., van der Heijden, M.G.A., Liebman, M. and Hallin, S. 2020. Agricultural diversification supports multiple ecosystem services without compromising yields. Science Advances 6:eaba1715

Jones, C.M. and Hallin, S. 2019. Geospatial variation in co-occurrence networks of nitrifying microbial guilds. Molecular Ecology, 28:293-306

Putz, M., Schleusner, P., Rütting, T. and Hallin, S. 2018. Relative abundance of denitrifying and DNRA bacteria and their activity determine nitrogen retention or loss in agricultural soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 123:97-104

Conthe, M., Wittorf, L., Kuenen, G., Kleerebezem, R., van Loosdrecht, M.C.M., Hallin, S. 2018. Life on N2O: deciphering the ecophysiology of N2O respiring bacterial communities in a continuous culture. The ISME Journal,12:1142–1153

Hallin, S, Philippot, L, Löffler, F., Sanford, R.A. and Jones, C.M. 2018. Genomics and ecology of novel N2O reducing microorganisms. Trends in Microbiology, 26:43-55

Alsterberg, C., Roger, F., Sundbäck, K., Juhanson,J., Hulth, S., Hallin, S. and Gamfeldt, L. 2017. Habitat diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality - the importance of direct and indirect effects. Science Advances,3:e1601475.

Graf, D.R.H, Jones, C.M. and Hallin, S. 2014. Intergenomic comparisons highlight modularity of the denitrification pathway and underpin the importance of community structure for N2O emissions. PLoS ONE, 9(12):e114118.

Jones, C. M., Spor, A., Brennan, F. P., Breuil, M.-C., Bru, D., Lemanceau, P., Griffiths, B., Hallin, S. and Philippot, L. 2014. Recently identified microbial guild mediates soil N2O sink capacity. Nature Climate Change, 4:801-805.

Jones, C.M., Graf, D.R.H, Bru, D., Philippot, L. and Hallin, S. 2013. The unaccounted yet abundant nitrous oxide reducing microbial community - a potential nitrous oxide sink. The ISME Journal, 7:417-426.

Philippot, L. and Hallin, S. 2011. Towards food, feed and energy crops mitigating climate change. Trends in Plant Science, 16:476-480.

Philippot,L., Andersson, S.G.E., Battin,T.J., Prosser, J.I., Schimel, J.P.,  Whitman, W.B. and Hallin, S. 2010. The ecological coherence of higher bacterial taxonomic ranks. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 8:523-529.