New Section Editors for PeerJ Life & Environment

We are delighted to announce that PeerJ Life and Environment has four new Section Editors across Plant Biology, Microbiology and Environmental Science. Please welcome Jasmine Janes (Plant Biology), Konstantinos Kormas (Microbiology), Jörg Oehlmann and Monika Mortimer (Environmental Science).

Plant Biology

Jasmine Janes joins Julin Maloof and Gerard Lazo as Section Editor for the Plant Biology Section. Jasmine is Assistant Professor in Plant Ecology/Genomics at Vancouver Island University where her research focuses on answering questions related to evolutionary processes such as speciation and co-evolution. Her specific areas of focus include Vancouver Island dietary metagenomics, mountain pine beetle genomics, adaptive diversification in eucalypts and working toward a better understanding of the role that hybridization (and its barriers) play in chickweed and bog orchid species complexes.

Microbiology

Valeria Souza is joined by Konstantinos Kormas in the Microbiology Section. Konstantinos has taken over from Siouxie Wiles who stepped down from the role last month. We would like to thank Siouxie for all of her hard work whilst in the role and look forward to Konstantinos and Valeria forming a great new working partnership. Konstantinos is Professor of Microbial Ecology of Aquatic Environment at the University of Thessaly. His lab investigates patterns and processes that underpin the distribution and abundance of microorganisms in different habitats of the aquatic environment, and aim to answer questions including:

– How do aquatic microbial communities assemble?
– Which members of the microbial trophic web are the key players in defining and maintaining community structure?
– What is the role of spatial/temporal structure in regulating the community’s stability?
– How do abiotic parameters regulate ecosystem functioning of microbial processes?
– What is the the diversity and function of animal microbiota and microbiomes of aquatic animals?

Environmental Science

Jörg Oehlamann and Monika Mortimer join us as our first Section Editors for Environmental Science. Monika is Associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences, China Jiliang University. Her research interests and experience include ecotoxicology, environmental effects of engineered nanomaterials, fate and transport of contaminants of emerging concern, and microbiology.

Jörg is Head of the Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University where the objective of his research is the understanding of processes in aquatic ecosystems regarding presence and effects of environmental chemicals alone and in combination with other stressors. His primary research interests include biological effects monitoring, endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment, effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms, and development of an integrated water resource management.

PeerJ Life & Environment Sections

PeerJ Sections provide topically curated content from PeerJ Life & Environment. Section Editors have oversight of the articles published in their Section to ensure the journal maintains a fair peer review process and the highest standards of scientific practice in their fields.

Find all the PeerJ Sections here.