Dr Riccardo Scotti

I am a soil microbiologist and environmental scientist with a background in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and microbiome research across agricultural, environmental and clinical systems. My current work at NIAB focuses on characterising soil and rhizosphere microbial communities in arable systems, with the aim of linking microbiome structure and function to soil fertility, crop performance and sustainable management practices.

I am on research leave from CREA – Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (Italy), where I lead an independent research group working on composts, organic amendments, compost teas and microbial consortia as tools to restore soil quality and suppress soil-borne diseases.

My research interests include: soil and plant microbiomes, compost and organic amendments, microbiome-based indicators of soil health, aptamer-based detection of beneficial microbes, and the development of bioinformatic and AI-driven approaches to integrate microbiome, agronomic and environmental data for decision support in sustainable agriculture.

Current Projects

Investigating microbial community dynamics under different cover cropping regimes 2022 – 2024.  Funders: J C Mann/Morley Foundation

Recent publications

Scotti, R., Maffia, A., Wood, T., Muscolo, A., Lepore, A., Acocella, E., Celano, G. Transforming Agricultural and Sulfur Wastes into Fertilizer: Assessing Short-Term Effects on Microbial Biodiversity via a Metagenomic Approach. Life 2024, 14, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/life14121633

Scotti, R., D’Agostino, N., Pane, C., Zaccardelli, M. (2024). Transcriptional reprogramming of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) roots treated with humic acids and filter-sterilised compost tea. BMC Plant Biology 24, 894. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05602-7

Arous, A., Gargouri, K., Palese, A. M., Pane, C., Scotti, R., Zaccardelli, M., Altieri, G., Celano, G. (2024). Microbiological Soil Quality Indicators Associated with Long-Term Agronomical Management of Mediterranean Fruit Orchards. Agriculture 14, 1527. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14091527

De Palma, M., Scotti, R., D’Agostino, N., Zaccardelli, M., Tucci, 2022. M. Phyto-Friendly Soil Bacteria and Fungi Provide Beneficial Outcomes in the Host Plant by Differently Modulating Its Responses through (In)Direct Mechanisms. Plants, 2022, 11(20), 2672.

Jenkins T.P., Pritchard D.I., Tanasescu R., Telford G., Papaiakovou M., Scotti R., Cortés A., Constantinescu C.S., Cantacessi C. 2021. Experimental infection with the hookworm, Necator americanus, is associated with stable gut microbial diversity in human volunteers with relapsing multiple sclerosis. BMC Biology19, 74.