Research output per year
Research output per year
The University of Western Australia (M087), 35 Stirling Highway,
6009 Perth
Australia
Khalil is a soil microbiologist at The University of Western Australia, focusing on the role of beneficial soil microbes in plant nutrition and soil fertility. His expertise extends to enhancing plant performance in both agricultural and natural ecosystems in an eco-friendly manner.
Khalil completed his PhD studies at UWA from 2009 to 2013, during which he discovered a novel plant-fungus symbiosis named "feremycorrhiza," published in the prestigious journal New Phytologist in 2014. ‘Fere’ means ‘nearly’ in Latin; hence, the term ‘feremycorrhiza’ refers to ‘nearly mycorrhiza’ (Kariman et al., 2018; 2023).
From 2013 to 2018, Khalil worked as a research assistant at UWA on various soil biology and agricultural projects. In 2018, he commenced his full-time research associate position at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment. In 2019, Khalil was awarded a three-year Postdoc Fellowship by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to study the potential of his newly discovered symbiosis for agriculture, collaborating with Prof Zed Rengel and Dr Craig Scanlan. His postdoc project, titled "Exploiting the Potential of a Novel Fungal Biofertiliser," aimed to boost crop yield in an environmentally friendly manner and reduce chemical inputs, particularly phosphorus fertilisers, in farming systems. In 2024, Khalil was honoured with a highly prestigious four-year fellowship by the Australian Research Council (ARC) for his project titled "Novel Biofertiliser for Sustainable Agriculture: Tackling Phosphorus Crisis."
Khalil was awarded the Rising Stars 2021 Award at the University of Western Australia (2nd prize, 28th Oct 2021). For this award, 14 researchers with different disciplines were selected based on their high research calibre and academic merit and presented their research to a broad audience, which included academics, donors, investors, industry partners, and the WA Minister for Agriculture and Food, Alannah MacTiernan.
Khalil was also awarded the prestigious "Marschner Young Scientist Award" on 23 August 2022 in Brazil and was invited to give a plenary oral presentation about his research on a novel fungal biofertiliser at the IPNC 2022 in Brazil. This is a prominent international award established in honour of Professor Horst Marschner.
Additionally, Khalil has been involved in supervising postgraduate students at UWA.
My research mainly focuses on the role of beneficial soil microbes (such as the feremycorrhizal fungus) in soil nutrient cycling and fertility, as well as improving plant fitness in production and natural ecosystems. Considering the damage and pollution caused by the intensive use of chemical fertilisers/pesticides worldwide, it is crucial to exploit the potential of soil microorganisms to sustain the environment, i.e. mimicking the Nature's way to save the planet.
Feremycorrhiza, Mycorrhiza, Soil Microbiology, Nutrient Cycling, Soil Fertility, Stress Tolerance in Plants
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Soil Biology, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Physiological and molecular analysis of tolerance to phosphate toxicity in jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi, The University of Western Australia
2009 → 2013
Plant Pathology, Master of Science (MSc), Isolation and identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with sugarcane in Iran, Tarbiat Modarres University
2002 → 2004
Agricultural Sciences, Bachelor of Science (BSc), Plant Protection, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources
1998 → 2002
Research Assistant, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII)
2005 → 2006
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Kariman, K. (Investigator 01), Rengel, Z. (Investigator 02) & Scanlan, C. (Investigator 03)
Grains Research & Development Corporation
1/04/19 → 30/06/22
Project: Research