Date/Time
Date(s) - Wed 21 October
13:00
Virology at the intersection of Indigenous and horticulture cropping ecosystems featuring Dr Cinthy Jimenez Silva
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and play important roles in regulating ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling. However, compared to the marine environment, viruses in soils have been largely overlooked and remain poorly described. Viral communities can regulate microbial population structure and biogeochemical fluxes, but they remain under characterised in terrestrial environments, particularly for RNA viruses.
In this talk, Cinthy will share her study characterising the soil virome associated with kānuka (Kunzea ericoides) restoration sites across environmental gradients. She will highlight the diversity of viral community composition and ecology across Horomaka forest, Horomaka, Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū, showing how both climate and soil chemistry shape kānuka viral diversity. Cinthy’s research shows how viruses as a part of the microbial communities can serve as indicators of ecosystem health.
About the presenter
Dr Cinthy Jimenez Silva (University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, Bioeconomy Science Institute) is a tranche 2 (Sep 2025-March 2026) Postdoctoral Fellow with Bioprotection Aotearoa supervised by Dr Robin MacDiarmid. Cinthy’s research investigated the virome diversity of soil ecosystems, and how climate and soil conditions drive the diversity of understudied soil viruses in native kānuka ecosystems across Horomaka.
Register here for the webinar link
About Rangahau Rising Webinar Series
Rangahau Rising is a webinar series showcasing emerging researchers who are asking bold questions and exploring new directions in bioprotection. Each session features an early career researcher sharing their journey, ideas, and in-progress work across a range of bioprotection topics.