Rich Phillips
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richphillipslab.bsky.social
Rich Phillips
@richphillipslab.bsky.social
Dad, wilderness wanderer, soil searcher, biogeochemical cyclist
https://phillipslab.bio.indiana.edu/
Even though transience is part of lab culture, it’s still hard to say goodbye. This summer we bid adieu to long-time lab manager Elizabeth Huenupi, long-time tech Zoe Worman & (sort of) long-time post-doc Daniel Beverly. We will miss (but not forget) you. You’ll bring awesomeness to your next stops!
August 19, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Does a plane 1/3 of rhizosphere scientists constitute a rhizoplane? So long Edinburgh - thanks for a great week!! #Rhizosphere6
June 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM
We found 1) most variation in MAOM related to FeOx (60-68%), 2) bacterial diversity contributes to MAOM when low (but not high) melanin necromass is present, 3) low melanin forms MAOM more readily than high melanin necromass, & 4) necromass N forms 7x more MAOM than necromass C
May 21, 2025 at 5:14 PM
We added 15N and 13C labeled necromass (high and low melanin) to soils with diff. mineralogies & microbial communities in a jar incubation. The soils were sourced from across southern Indiana and had iron oxide contents that differed by two orders of magnitude.
May 21, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Hmm, this seems prescient (in last week’s Science)
January 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Fun times in Btown celebrating three birthdays (7/29), two Kimberly Ann(e)s, three of my fav women in science and of course, friends and family @rosvall_lab @Novick_Lab @DrBioGC @JPWrightEcology
November 17, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Pt 1 of summer tour - Germany is in the books! Delightful time & fun convos abt roots, fungi, soils, music, art, politics & bier w/ Ina Meier lab (Hamburg), #ISRR24 attendees & @Eisenhauerlab @iDiv (Leipzig - the birthplace of myco fungi!). Special thx to Ina & Nico. On to Berlin
November 17, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Great leaders lead to great science. Tim Fahey was a tremendous scholar teacher, mentor & colleague, whose impact on our field was profound. Yesterday, we celebrated his career with stories, pics and hike @HubbardBrookNH. While Tim will be missed, his legacy lives on #FaheyFest
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Collaborations make us smarter & lead to better science (imo). Many thanks to SERC collabs for hosting 2d of data & ideas. From 300yr-old tulips to 11yr-old BiodiversiTrees to lone handkerchief tree (& forest orchids) - we saw it all. Hard to beat science, schnitzel & crab cakes!
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Wow, surreal & breathtaking @ Stillwater marsh. As totality approached, temps dropped & darkness descended. Cavity-nesting swallows were silenced & bolted for the canopy; peepers & frogs chorused loudly; and then came owls and a coyote - hootin’ and howlin’. And jaws dropped!
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Nine yrs ago we ran a workshop in Amsterdam to consider what roots & MF do in ecosystems, and how to model this. So much amazing research since then! Sometimes you just need to plant the seed/bury the spore.. @ColleenIversen @aimeeclassen Sir David Read, Nadia Soudzilovskaia 1/2
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Thanks @PeteHomyak for hosting me at @UCRiverside. Fun chats with/ @M_J_Spasojevic @harmstk @gdjecology, Mike & Edie Allen (& many others). Sunrise run up Rubidoux and lodging at Mission Inn were also highlights. Nice to be reminded: so much nitrogen, so little time…
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
w/ Arctic air leaving central US next week, let's talk spring! A total solar eclipse (April) & two periodical cicada emergences (May). If in s. MO or IL you get both! Curious about impacts on plants & soils? @DanPBeverly is on it!
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Lab meeting this week got a little heated, as teams shaded out each other’s trees; but, we grew a nice forest with C-rich soil in the board-game Photosynthesis @502rules @DanPBeverly @nambiar_ashish @nicole_spanier @Max_P_Scheel
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
I feel seen (and don’t worry, it’s not from today)
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Reason #6347 to halt climate change in its tracks
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
UNH is a special place. Great people doing amazing research, amidst a gorgeous backdrop of mountains & water. Thx Thomas Muratore for hosting my visit & fun chats @seritafrey @sgrandysoil @ScottOllinger @nhfunguy2 Heidi Asbjornsen, Jason Demers, David Moore & Matt Vadeboncoeur
November 17, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Thanks @DukesJeff for a wonderful visit at Carnegie-Stanford-Jasper Ridge. Delightful convos about forests, fungi and soil C with @mykophile @PellitierPeter and so many others.
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
#ESA2023 - it's on! Can't wait to see everyone in Portland
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
Roots influence soil C, but which traits best predict MAOM formation? Do traits that increase MAOM also accelerate decay via priming? Are there diffs between AM-ECM absorpt-transprt roots? @BeidlerKatilyn @NextGenShovel @502rules & M. Benson have answers.
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
Trees that host different myco fungi have distinct traits; but do they compete less for resources and grow more? In our new OA ms , we find the answer is ‘yes’, w/ a few caveats @ShanLuo6 @EisenhauerLab @iDiv @BWSchmid @FeiNrsa @insu_jo @alpenbering 1/
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
The year Tom Brady entered the league,
-Atmospheric CO2 was 369ppm
-Razor flip phones were all the rage
-Y2K fears were finally being put to rest
-I was still five years out from publishing my first paper.
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
Name a folder on your hard drive with a legacy name that now seems quaint or outdated. Pretty sure I set up this one ("Scientific Papers") >20 years ago when I started grad school. Anticipating many "what's a folder?" replies.
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
Hamburgers or soil horizons? #RoseParade2023
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
wonderful day talking grapes, goats & wine w/ @CristinaLazcan0 & the regenerative viticulture team. special thanks @lacremawines @jkwines for supporting the research…and the healthy pours
November 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM