BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Sunil Mundra is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University. He completed PhD in Molecular Microbial Ecology from the University of Oslo (Norway) and has worked at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS, Longyearbyen). During his PhD, he conducted pioneering research on spatial and temporal patterns in High-Arctic fungi using advanced high-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques. Currently, he serves as the Principal Investigator of the “Microbial Ecology and Environmental Genomics” lab, which is engaged in cutting-edge research to comprehend the impact of climate and environmental changes on soil-plant-microbial tripartite interactions in diverse environments ranging from forests, polar to arid regions. His research interests are multifaceted and encompass identifying the intricate relationships between microbial diversity and ecosystem or host function. He employs state-of-the-art genomic and multi-omics approaches, including metagenomics analyses, microbial culturing, and machine learning to accomplish these objectives. Furthermore, his research vision extends beyond fundamental research to practical applications that can potentially improve agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, with a particular focus on the arid environment. He has published >50 research papers and supervising several Master and PhD students at UAEU. He has been the recipient of the prestigious Abu Dhabi Young Investigator award.
EDUCATION
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Doctorate Degree, Doctor of Philosophy, Microbiology , University of Oslo / University Centre in Svalbard (Norway), 2015
RESEARCH AREAS
- Microbial ecology (Bacteria, Fungi, Micro-eukaryotes)
- Plant-microbial interactions
- Desert, forest and polar ecosystem ecology
- Microbes in human made environment (ex. indoor microbiome from house and industry)
- Human and animal gut microbiome
- Metabarcoding
- Omics (Metagenomics, Metatranscriptomics and Metaproteomics) technology
- Next Generation Seqeuncing
- Functional biodiversity in different settings (desert to urban to forested)
- Responses and adaption of microorganisms to global changes
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
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(2025). "Irrigation water and soil chemistry shape fungal guilds in date palm soils, enhancing pathotroph abundance under saline groundwater irrigation,". Co-Authors: Chandran S., Loganathachetti D.S., Sadaiappan B., Swaroop S. and Mundra S*. . Current Research in Microbial Sciences. .
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(2025). "Antimicrobial Metabolites of Bacillus velezensis FZB42 Reshape Rice Rhizosphere Microbial Community Composition and Induce Host Resistance Against Rhizoctonia solani". Co-Authors: Qurban Ali, Abdur Rashid Khan, Wang Yujie, Yu Chenjie, Qian Zhao, Muhammad Ayaz, Waseem Raza, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, Sunil Mundra, Xuewen Gao. Current Plant Biology. .
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(2025). "Mechanisms of Microbial VOC-Mediated Communication in Plant Ecosystems and Agricultural Applications". Co-Authors: Ali Q.; Khan A.R.; Raza W.; Bilal M.S.; Khalid S.; Ayaz M.; Khan AR.; and Mundra S. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. .
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(2024). "Power of Plant Microbiome: A Sustainable Approach For Agricultural Resilience.". Co-Authors: Ali Q., Ali M., Jing H., Hussain A., Manghwar H., Ali M., Raza W. and Mundra S. . Plant stress. .
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(2024). "Editorial: Applicative and Ecological Aspects of Mycorrhizal Symbioses". Co-Authors: Mundra S.*, and Mustafa M. . Frontiers in Plant Science. .
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(2024). "Heterogenous Bioluminescence Patterns, Cell Viability, and Biofilm Formation of Photobacterium leiognathi Strains Exposed to Ground Microplastics". Co-Authors: De Jesus R., Iqbal S., Mundra S. and AlKendi R. . Frontiers in Toxicology . .
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(2024). "Mangrove sediments-associated bacterium (Bacillus sp. SW7) with multiple plant growth-promoting traits promotes the growth of tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum)". Co-Authors: Afridi K., Sadaiappan B., Nassar A.S., Mahmoud H., Khan M.A., Mundra S. . Frontiers in Marine Science. .
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(2024). "Bacterial resistome in different stages of wastewater treatment plant is highly impacted by the abundance of the Pseudomonadota community". Co-Authors: Malik S.S., Loganathachetti D.S., Khan M.A., Sadaiappan B., Mundra S.
. Bioresources Technology Reports. .
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(2024). "Optimizing tomato seedling growth with indigenous mangrove bacterial inoculants and reduced NPK fertilization". Co-Authors: Tounsi-Hammami S., Khan M.A., Zeb A., Anwar A.R., Arora N., Naseem M., Mundra S. . Frontiers in Plant Sciences. .
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(2024). "Mechanical Scarification: The Key to Optimal Germination Parameters in Nine Flowering Species Of The United Arab Emirates". Co-Authors: Debouza N.E., Mundra S., Shah I., Ksiksi T. . Innovations Agriculture. .
