I'm seeking academic partners, research institutes, and institutions for the MSCA Doctoral Network on microfungal biodiversity in forest soil.

Forests are rich and complex ecosystems that play a crucial role in maintaining global ecological balance. Microfungi contribute to nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, soil structure formation, and plant–microbe interactions, making them key drivers of forest health, resilience, and ecosystem multifunctionality. However, climate change and the conversion of forested areas for human activities are altering biodiversity patterns and disrupting ecosystem stability, which may lead to changes and losses in microfungal communities. Despite their ecological importance, microfungi remain underrepresented in predictive ecosystem models and biodiversity assessments.

As a PhD student, I aim to contribute to addressing this gap through an MSCA Doctoral Network focused on forest soil microfungal biodiversity. The proposed research direction aims to identify microfungal diversity in forest soils and predict potential future impacts, ultimately contributing to the development of rapid, effective, and accessible databases for conservation and ecosystem management.

During the past semester, I gained experience in international and project-based research through my involvement in a Horizon Europe proposal, HORIZON-MISS-2026-SOIL-05, coordinated by my supervisor. In addition, I am participating in three COST Actions, and I am currently involved as a researcher in a TUBITAK–COST Action project proposal prepared together with my supervisor, focusing on microfungal biodiversity.

I am looking for academic partners, research institutes, and institutions that can contribute complementary expertise in areas such as fungal biodiversity, metabarcoding, bioinformatics, conservation biology, and AI-based ecological modelling. I am also interested in partners who are open to long-term collaboration beyond the MSCA Doctoral Network, including the joint development of the project idea, publications, and future research initiatives.

Through these initiatives, I aim to further develop my experience in international research collaboration, proposal preparation, and consortium-based scientific work. I am eager to expand these collaborations through the MSCA Doctoral Network programme. I can contribute to the network through research design, molecular biodiversity assessment, and the development of interdisciplinary collaborations across Europe to advance forest ecosystem protection, biodiversity conservation, and environmental sustainability.