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"in a small handful of healthy soil, there are billions of microorganisms—like bacteria and fungi—that's amazing!" says lakehead biology professor, dr. nate basiliko.
a love of soil began very early in life for dr. basiliko (right). he grew up on a 100-acre family farm in upstate new york. "there was a woodlot on our farm, and my brother and i occasionally tapped trees for maple syrup."
these microorganisms, also called microbes, can do everything from cleaning contaminated water to reducing the severity of wildfires.
dr. basiliko has been studying microbes since he was an undergraduate student working in a soil science laboratory at cornell university.
"i started putting mud into jars and measuring what the microbes were doing, and i've never looked back," he says.
these microbes live in hyper-diverse communities called microbiomes.
"microbiomes are everywhere—in soils, plants, wastewater, and in our bodies, particularly our lower guts. all living things are dependent on microbiomes."
although soil science has been around for more than 100 years, a vast amount remains unknown.
"the tools to study soil microbiomes are still limited, but this makes it exciting for 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛
and researchers."
dr. basiliko typically studies soils and ecosystems in managed boreal environments in canada, but occasionally he collaborates with researchers in other parts of the world. above, he tours the antisano volcano in ecuador.
dr. basiliko is particularly interested in the connection between microbes and methane, a greenhouse gas.
researchers collect a core sample from a peat bog (left). "i love collaborating with 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛
, colleagues, and communities, government, and industry partners," dr. basiliko says. photo credit: steph davidson
"some microbes eat and break down stagnant organic matter, so scientists are constantly looking for new ways to use them in human-engineered systems like wastewater management and agro-ecosystems," he says.
there's a downside to all this decay, though. "rotting organic matter without oxygen generates huge amounts of methane, which contributes to global warming."
luckily, there are methane-eating microbes, called methanotrophs, that consume most of the methane produced in the world's stagnant soils.
part of dr. basiliko's research concentrates on slowing climate change by harnessing these microbes' ability to destroy methane.
in landfills, for instance, putting a layer of healthy, well-aerated topsoil over areas that have been filled with waste prevents most of the methane from escaping into the atmosphere.
sundew (right) and pitcher plants are two carnivorous plants found in nutrient-poor bogs. in ontario, 30 per cent of the province are wetlands, making them critical to fighting climate change. photo credit: samantha mitchell
currently, dr. basiliko is a member of a large research project led by nipissing university focused on reclaiming wetlands affected by mining operations.
"we're studying wetlands, also known as bogs and fens, in the sudbury area of ontario," he says.
"until the 1970s, nickel and copper smelters released toxic chemicals into the air, causing severe environmental damage."
typically, bogs act as spongy filters. their native plants and microbial partners work together to purify polluted water before it flows into lakes and rivers.
around sudbury, however, the sheer volume of pollutants released into the atmosphere for almost a century has damaged many wetlands.
one group of plants that disappeared from bogs was peat mosses.
these plants are keystone species that support carbon sequestration, stable water levels, and a unique set of microbiomes, animals, and other plants—including carnivorous ones.
when they disappear, wetland ecosystems collapse.
for decades, the state of sudbury-area bogs seemed irreversible. but peat mosses have begun to return, thanks to air quality regulations and large investments made by the mining sector.
the wetland research project is attempting to speed up peat mosses' recolonization of their former habitat. the hope is that if peat mosses flourish once again, microbial communities and other bog life will flourish, too.
wetlands comprise only 2.5% of land surface area in the world, but hold one-third of its total carbon. they can also slow the spread of wildfires. above, dr. basiliko (far right) with colleagues from laurentian, saint mary's, nipissing, and brandon universities.
"our research team is now planning the next stage of research, in collaboration with our industry partners," dr. basiliko says.
"we will sparingly take peat mosses from healthy wetlands that have been set aside for horticultural purposes. then, we'll use drones to transplant them to degraded bogs and fens that could not otherwise be revegetated."
the mosses will be tracked by the researchers to see if they can successfully restore bogs.
"if this experiment works, we'd like to apply our results more globally. creating practical solutions to serious problems is what inspires me as a researcher."
in 2025, dr. basiliko renewed his nserc discovery grant, 'microbiomes mediating environmental change across boreal landscapes.' he is also one of the co-investigators in the wetland reclamation research project 'mining atmospheric co2: assessing the efficacy of novel carbon sequestration strategies in smelter-damaged peatlands," which received an nserc alliance missions grant. this project is led by dr. colin mccarter (nipissing u) in collaboration with dr. ellie goud (st. mary's u), dr. pete whittington (brandon u), dr. peter beckett (laurentian u), and dr. florin pendea (lakehead orillia).
giving people a sense of belonging is one of taliah lalande's missions in life.
the fact that she received a 2025 lakehead leader award for community engagement proves just how successful she's been.
taliah at the final home game of the lakehead orillia 2024-25 soccer season.
a master of educational studies student, taliah first arrived at lakehead orillia as an undergraduate in the bachelor of arts and science program.
"i majored in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on geography," she says. "i love to travel, and the program allowed me to explore and understand the world around me."
but making the transition from high school to university was a little disconcerting. she found herself in a new city where she didn't know a soul.
"there were 14 people in my middle school in kitchener, so i was used to being in a close-knit group."
her experience inspired her to help other lakehead 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛
feel less isolated.
"loneliness is one of the worst things for mental health, so i decided to help grow 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 ' relationships and connections," she says. "i always checked in with them, listened to them, and brought their concerns forward in meetings."
taliah continued her community building as an intern with lakehead orillia athletics. in this role, she fostered camaraderie among athletes on the soccer and hockey teams and across campus through social media.
"although i can't play soccer anymore because of an injury, i can still support," she says. "i cheer my loudest and take pictures that the players will cherish."
she's now continuing her work with lakehead athletics as a social media and communications assistant.
taliah (based'25) manages lakehead athletics' content creation, photography, and communications across instagram. "i also attend as many events as possible. i love supporting student athletes and building school spirit." above, taliah at last season's final varsity kick-off soccer event.
as an undergraduate, taliah also volunteered on the board of the education student teacher association – orillia (esta-o), first as operations director, then, last year, as vice-president.
organizing events and activities is another way that she's created a greater sense of community.
"we've led food drives and donated the groceries we collected to the sharing place food centre in orillia. we wanted to make sure families had access to the essentials."
she also took charge of crafts and cocoa. for this popular event, 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 sell handmade crafts, baked goods, and small items, while esta-o sells hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. "it's meant to draw people together, raise funds for charity, and support local student businesses."
it was because of her efforts to connect 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 through esta-o that taliah was honoured with a lakehead leader award.
presented by lakehead's student success centre, these awards celebrate exceptional 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 who inspire the lakehead community.
taliah with wolfie at the bell let’s talk hockey night where the lakehead extramural women's hockey team played for the frost cup.
according to the student success centre, "taliah was nominated because of her kindness and compassion, consistently demonstrating a dedication to others in every aspect of their involvement at lakehead."
she's known for offering solace and support to 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 under stress.
"someone later told me that having me sit with them made them feel seen and safe. it reminded me how powerful small acts of care can be, and reaffirmed why i want to work in education."
after finishing her undergraduate studies, taliah wanted to gain more education and experience before jumping into the classroom. she opted for a master of educational studies with a focus on mental health.
"i want to get a better understanding of how i can help 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 in my own classroom one day.
i'm most drawn to the junior grades," she adds. "i enjoy helping them build their confidence and deepen their social-emotional learning.
i want to become 'that teacher,' the one that 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 can always turn to."
