VIDEO: Dr. Antonino Malacrino’s dream may require a bit of background to understand, but after explanation, it’s something we all should be pulling for.
The Clemson University assistant professor of microbiome science said, “My dream is to find those microbes that can be reintroduced and help the forest to recover faster after a fire. It will take years, but who knows, we may achieve that goal.” And achieving that goal would quite literally help the ecosystem of our entire planet.
Dr. Malacrino is a molecular ecologist with a main interest in microbiomes. He explains that soil microbiomes “run our planet, they literally do everything, so that’s why it’s so important to study these complex communities of microorganisms.”
Here’s just how important they are: “They perform all the functions that our planet really needs, and including ourselves, without microbes, we would not be here,” he said.
So, studying climate change and reducing high-intensity wildfires around the globe is a key component in protecting them.
Malacrino’s research focuses on the impact of wildfires on soil microbiomes, noting that high-intensity fires, like the ones that burned in the mountains of South and North Carolina in March 2025, can reduce microbial diversity and increase plant pathogens, potentially leading to more severe fires in the future.
