Ashish A. Malik

A life-history axis of resource acquisition in bacteria: depolymerisation versus uptake

The paper develops a genomic ratio to quantify resource-acquisition strategies in bacteria, finding uptake-optimised bacteria dominate early decomposition and depolymerisation-optimised bacteria dominate later stages.

Soil microenvironment and microbial community composition jointly regulate carbon accrual in agricultural soils

The paper investigates how soil microenvironment and microbial community composition jointly influence carbon accrual in agricultural soils through a transplant experiment.

Plant litter chemistry and associated changes in microbial decomposition under drought

This study examines how a decade-long drought affects plant litter chemistry and microbial decomposition in a semi-arid ecosystem, finding minimal direct effects on decomposition rates but significant changes in microbial community composition and function.

Recovery of microbial ecophysiology and carbon accrual functions in peatlands under restoration

The paper examines microbial ecophysiology and carbon accrual in peatlands before and after restoration, finding that restored sites show reduced microbial growth rates compared to degraded sites.

Land use effects on soil microbiome composition and traits with consequences for its ecosystem carbon use efficiency

The paper investigates how land use intensity affects soil microbiome traits and carbon use efficiency (CUE) through metaproteomics and decomposition experiments, showing opposing effects in low and high pH soils.

Bacterial population-level trade-offs between drought tolerance and resource acquisition traits impact decomposition

The paper shows that bacterial populations under drought exhibit trade-offs between stress tolerance and decomposition capabilities, reducing overall decomposition rates.