The Ferrari Lab
The Ferrari lab is an environmental microbiology lab based out of UNSW's School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, focusing on innovative cultivation techniques, next generation genetic sequencing and the microbial ecology of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic soil.
Dr Belinda Ferrari
Lab founder
Professor
UNSW Science
School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences
Current Role
I am currently the UNSW Associate Dean of Research. My research area is environmental microbiology. I specialise in Antarctic soil biodiversity and perform discovery-based and applied research. I am passionate about integrating single cell technologies with innovative cultivation methods and genomics to the uncover the diversity and functional capacity of uncharacterised soil microbiomes. By doing so, my team recently discovered a novel carbon fixation process where cold adapted bacteria literally ‘live on air’. We coined this microbial-based process ‘atmospheric chemosynthesis’ and published these findings in the prestigious journal Nature. My team also works on using microbes as indicators of soil health, for the assessment of ecosystem recovery during bioremediation and for developeming site-specific ecotoxicity assessments. My future goals are to continue to challenge our understanding of the nutritional limits required for life, while training the next generation of confident scientists.
Research
Belinda’s current research is focused at understanding the microbial diversity and functioning of microbes in the frozen soils of Antarctica. This includes a growing interest in the bioremediation of Antarctic soils, that is, assessing the application microbes as indicators of soil health. Through her research she is working closely with the Australian Antarctic Division towards understanding soil toxicity towards microbes in cold regions.
Teaching
In 2015 Belinda was awarded one of three “Outstanding excellence in postgraduate research supervision awards” at UNSW. Belinda is currently leading the development of an online teaching resource that will allow students to gain hands-on experience with flow cytometry; a powerful technology used widely in the biomedical field. She teaches to both biotechnology and microbiology students about current trends in the Australian biotechnology sector, with a major focus on environmental biotechnology and state-of-the art technology.
Researchgate