Dr. Mary Eliza
Contact
Dr. Mary Eliza
Postdoctoral Researcher
Working group Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance
Department of Applied Microbial Ecology
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
mary.eliza@ufz.de
Career Path
| 2025-current | Postdoctoral Researcher, Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance Group, Department of Applied Microbial Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany. |
| 2019-2024 | PhD in Evolutionary Soil Microbiology and Soil Anthropology at the School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom. |
Research Interests
My research interests spans many different topics - phage-host interactions, phage-host ecology and evolutionand human-microbiome interactions.
I am part of the ANTIRESIST project, which focuses on understanding the effects of antibiotics individually and as combinations on soil microbiomes and plant systems. Using omics approaches, this research examines the impact of antibiotics on soil bacteria-phage communities and the potential role of bacteriophages in disseminating antibiotic resistance. As an evolutionary microbiologist, I also investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of phage–bacterial interactions using targeted wet-lab experimentation.
2020 - 2024: Graduate Teaching Assistant at School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom on the following topics - Visualizing gene expression in plants, Counting phage plaques and their effects on plant bacterial pathogens, Introduction to Quantitative Techniques: Pigments in Plant Material, Understanding the role of vegetation in soil water infiltration, The impact of environmental conditions and management on water quality, Botany for level 1 students
2021 - 2022: Co-supervised an undergraduate and two postgraduate students
| 2026 | Eliza, M., E. Harrison, and A. Krzywoszynska. 2026. “ Growers' Attitudes Towards and Experiences of the Soil Microbiome and Soil Inoculants in the UK: Key Insights for a Developing Research Field.” Soil Use and Management 42, no. 2: e70239. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.70239. | |
| 2025 | Eliza, M., Hipperson, H. & Harrison, E. Different transcriptional impacts of prophage within the rhizobia-legume symbiosis. Symbiosis (2025) https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-025-01075-w. | |
| 2023 | Eliza, Mary (2023) Utilizing the soil microbiome for sustainable agriculture in the UK: Drawing from rhizobial inoculants and farmer knowledge. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield. |
- Guest speaker at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Lovely Professional University (LPU) on ‘Soil Microbiome for Sustainable Agriculture in the UK’.
- Speaker at Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, University of Sheffield on ‘Can viruses improve rhizobial inoculants aka bio fertilisers?’
- Speaker at Oxford Phage Conference, University of Oxford on ‘Can temperate phages improve rhizobial inoculants?’
- Speaker at Bright minds, University of Sheffield on ‘Can we tackle global warming, acid rain and smog all at once?’
- Speaker at the Broomhill Community Library, Sheffield on ‘Legumes - the magic food’.
- PhD scholarship from the Institute for Sustainable Food and Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, University of Sheffield.
- Masters of Science Diploma Scholarship from the Venkateswara College, University of Delhi.