Sara Hallin
Professor,
My research focuses on the ecology of microbial communities in terrestrial ecosystems, with a special interest in microbes involved in cycling of nitrogen.
Presentation
I address fundamental questions regarding the ecology of microorgansism in soil and rhizosphere, and also do applied research related to agricultural and environmental issues, such as nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and nitrogen leaching. Read about the research group in Soil Microbiology
Research
Ongoing research projects:
Ecology of microbes involved in nitrogen cycling
- AgNUE - Agricultural Nitrogen Use Efficiency Platform. novo nordisk foundation/FAAR. PI Diego Abalos, Aarhus unversity, 2026-2031
- Unearthing the terrestrial nitrogen transforming network. Wallenberg Scholar, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. PI Sara Hallin, SLU, 2025-2029
- 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 Sara Hallin, SLU, 2024-2028
- 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 Sara Hallin, SLU, 2024-2027
Agroecosystems - arable cropping systems and grasslands
- CHEGDmate – diversity, conservation and nutritional mode of waxcaps and allied in Swedish grasslands. Swedish Research Council Formas. PI Karina Clemmensen, SLU, 2026-2030
- MicrObial DIversity and functions in (h)edges of CUltivated Soils (MODICUS). Swedish Research Council Formas. PI Carles Castaño, SLU, 2026-2030
- Retention-irrigation system to reduce negative impacts of climate change in agricultural landscapes (RETAIN). SLF. PI Magdalena Bieroza, SLU, 2025-2027
- The capacity of crops for enhanced carbon allocation to soil in a changing climate - synergies and trade-offs. Swedish Research Council Formas. PI Thomas Keller, SLU, 2022-2026
Arctic and boreal ecosystems
- Soil organic matter dynamics in boreal forests – the role of mycorrhizal mycelia and microbial communities. Swedish Research Council. PI Petra Fransson, SLU 2025-2028
- Year-round climate feedbacks of winter phenological (mis)matches of plants and microbes across the Arctic. Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. PI Ellen Dorrepaal, Umeå university, Sweden, 2021-2027
Environmental engineering
- Bio-inspired Management of Laughing Gas (MaLaGa): Identifying, Enriching, Genetically Optimizing and Implementing N2O Respiring Biocatalysts (N2ORB). Novo Nordisk Foundation. PI Barth Smets, Aarhus University 2025-2027
Research groups
Teaching
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.
Publications
Full list of publications in Google Scholar
Selected recent publications
- Saghaï, A., Smith, M.E., Vico, G., Banerjee, S., Degrune, F., Edlinger, A., García-Palacios, P., Garland, G., van der Heijden, M.G.A., Herzog, C., Maestre, F.T., Pescador, D.S., Philippot, L., Rillig, M.C., Romdhane, S., Bommarco R., Hallin, S. Diverse crop rotations off-set yield-scaled nitrogen losses via denitrification. Communications Earth & Environment, in press
- Pold, G., Saghaï, A., Jones, C.M., Hallin, S. 2025. Denitrification is a community trait with partial pathways dominating across microbial genomes and biomes. Nature Communications, 16:9495
- Jeanbille, M., Clemmensen, K.E, Juhanson, J., Michelsen, A., Alatalo, J., Cooper, E.J., Henry, G.H.R., Hofgaard, A., Hollister, R.D., Jónsdóttir, I.S., Klanderud, K., Tolvanen, A., Hallin, S. 2025. Warming-induced effects on microbial communities and nitrogen cycling capacity in tundra litter are modulated by herb abundance and litter quality. Global Change Biology, 31:e70582
- Redondo, M.A., Jones, C.M., Legendre, P., Guénard, G., Hallin, S. 2025. Predicting gene distribution in ammonia-oxidizing archaea using phylogenetic signals. ISME Communications, 5:ycaf087
- Müller, L.J., Alicke, M., Romdhane, S, Pold, G., Jones, C.M., Saghaï, A., Hallin, S. 2025. Resistance and resilience of co-occurring nitrifying microbial guilds to drying and rewetting stress. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 208:109846
- 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
- 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
- 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