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Arwyn Edwards

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Arwyn Edwards

Dr, PhD, PGCTHE, FRGS, FHEA, FRSB, FLSW

20072025

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Profile

I am presently a Reader in Biosciences at the Department of Life Sciences of Aberystwyth University with research interests in planetary health microbiology. Currently, I am the course coordinator for the Department's Microbiology degree schemes and the Director of the University's Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Environmental Microbiology (AU iCEM). As a BSc graduate in Microbiology (2005) and PhD (2009) at Aberystwyth before joining the faculty in 2010 I have a close affinity for research led teaching of microbial biosciences in both Welsh and English.

 

Research interests

My research centres upon interactions between microbial processes and the health of our planet. with a key focus on microbial interactions within the cryosphere. Fundamentally I am interested in three research avenues: how microbial communities are formed, structured, and function in extreme environments, why and how microbial communities interact with environmental change, and how we can better understand microbial communities through the development of novel ‘omics approaches, for example portable genomics. I prefer to explore research questions at the junction of at least two of these three themes. This level of research activity has necessitated well over 30 glacier field deployments since 2006 to the Arctic, Antarctic, and European Alps. In 2017-19 I was the Royal  Geographic  Society’s  inaugural  Walters  Kundert Arctic Fellow, leading the first exploration of polar night glacier ecology, while concurrently holding a Leverhulme Trust  Fellowship. Current and recent research funding also includes UKRI NERC (Cryo365, MicroMelt, Exploring Subglacial Lake CECs, and a New Investigator project 2012-15), Research Council of Norway (BIOICE),  EU InterReg (ACCLIMATIZE), Horizon2020 (MSCA COFUND, ITN MicroArctic). I currently supervise three PhD students and manage four postdoctoral researchers within our research group. I regularly communicate science relevant to my research interests within the new and legacy media in either Welsh or English, with contributions in the broadcast media to flagship BBC R4 Today Programme: Live from the  University,  Today Programme: Live  from  the  Arctic, and Royal  Institution Christmas  Lectures, and the BAFTA award winning S4C Newid Hinsawdd, Newid Byd.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

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):

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  2. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  3. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  4. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  5. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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  • A roadmap for equitable reuse of public microbiome data

    The Data Reuse Consortium, Hug, L. A., Hatzenpichler, R., Moraru, C., Soares, A. R., Meyer, F., Heyder, A., Zwirzitz, B., Ziels, R. M., Zhu, J., Zhang, Y., Xiu, W., Wu, M., Woyke, T., Worden, A. Z., Williams, T. A., Williams, C. L., Wichels, A., Weissman, J. L. & Weiss, L. C. & 210 others, Weir, T., Wegner, C. E., Wang, Y., Wang, S., Walsh, C. J., Wagner, M., von Meijenfeldt, F. A. B., Vierheilig, J., Vázquez-Campos, X., Valentin-Alvarado, L. E., Ugalde, J., Tsiknia, M., Truu, J., Trubl, G., Trivedi, C. B., Tito, R. Y., Thieringer, P., Tamarit, D., Suzuki, S., Sures, B., Sukumaran, R., Stopnisek, N., Stoikidou, T., Stöckl, R., Steen, A. D., Starke, J., Stajich, J. E., Stach, T. L., Srivastava, P., Sprehn, C. G., Speth, D. R., Sorbie, A., Snoeyenbos-West, O. L., Skliros, D., Sieradzki, E. T., Siebers, B., Sharon, I., Shah, M. B., Seyoum, M. M., Sekar, J., Sekar, A., Sehnal, L., Schwengers, O., Schubert, C., Schmitz, R. A., Schloter, M., Schaible, G., Schäfer, R. B., Sbaffi, T., Saw, J. H., Sarhan, M. S., Santoferrara, L., Santiago-Martínez, M. G., Saini, J. S., Ruff, S. E., Rückert, S., Rothman, J. A., Roloff, T., Rohwer, R. R., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Rodríguez-Gijón, A., Robinson, C., Rinke, C., Rech, E., Rausch, P., Rattei, T., Ramganesh, S., Quaye, E. K., Priest, T., Poyet, M., Plewka, J., Peyton, B., Pavloudi, C., Pascoal, P. V., Parry, R. H., Parks, D. H., Pappas, K. M., Osvatic, J., Osuolale, O., Neuhauser, S., Neufeld, J. D., Nata’ala, M. K., Muschiol, J., Miravet-Verde, S., Mikryukov, V., Michoud, G., Meyer, J. L., Mende, D. R., Melkonian, C., Meier, D. V., Meehan, C. J., Meaden, S., Marshall, A., Malfertheiner, L., Majidian, S., Mahnert, A., Lücker, S., Lima, R. N., Li, S. S., Lezcano, M., Leese, F., Lau, S. H., Lateef, A. A., Lan, X., Lahmers, K., Laczny, C. C., La Rosa, S. L., Kyrpides, N. C., Kujala, K., Kormas, K., Koonin, E. V., Koech, A. K., Knight, R., Klarenberg, I., Kiledal, E. A., Kellom, M., Keating, C., Kaspareit, Y. M., Karimi, E., Jungbluth, S. P., Jay, Z. J., Ilott, N., Hwang, Y., Hugerth, L. W., Hou, S., Hom, E. F., Hoff, K. J., Hivarkar, S. S., Hitch, T. C., Hillary, L., Hess, M., Hesketh-Best, P. J., Herold, M., Henson, M., Hellwig, P., Hechler, R. M., Hay, M., Hassenrück, C., Hart, L., Hamm, J. N., Hamilton, T. L., Hamamura, N., Guzel, M., Valenzuela Guerrero, B., Groussin, M., Grossart, H. P., Gregory, A. C., Gregor, R., Greening, C., Gopalakrishnappa, C., González-Pech, R. A., Gloor, G. B., Gittins, D., Giovannelli, D., Gessner, M. O., Gerhardt, I. R., Geesink, P., Gada, A. M., Fuhrman, J. A., Foucault, P., Ferretti, P., Ferguson, R. M. W., Petrovic Fabijan, A., Ettinger, C. L., Ettema, T. J. G., Esser, S. P., Engelmann, J. C., Egbert, S., Edwards, R., Edwards, A., Džunková, M., Dong, X., Dittami, S. M., Debelius, J., Arake de Tacca, L. M., De Santiago, A., De Anda, V., Daebeler, A., Currie, C. R., Costa, R., Chatzigiannidou, I., Cernava, T., Caporaso, J. G., Cansdale, A., Burcham, Z. M., Buelow, E., Bremges, A., Brazelton, W., Brauer, V. S., Bornemann, T. L., Bonilla-Rosso, G., Boldt, J., Block, K., Blakeley-Ruiz, J. A., Bissett, A., Biddle, J., Bejerman, N., Bartholomäus, A., Baker, B., Bak, F., Baeza, J. A., Andrei, A. S., Anderson, R., Anantharaman, K., Alteio, L., Adesiyan, I. M., Abdulkadir, N., Abdalrahem, A., Abdallah, R. Z. & Probst, A. J., 31 Oct 2025, In: Nature Microbiology. 10, 10, p. 2384-2395 12 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › peer-review

    10 Citations (Scopus)

  • Hydrogeological and geological partitioning of iron and sulfur cycling bacterial consortia in subsurface coal-based mine waters

    Soares, A., Rassner, S. M. E., Edwards, A., Farr, G., Blackwell, N., Sass, H., Persiani, G., Schofield, D. & Mitchell, A. C., 31 May 2025, In: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 101, 5, 15 p., fiaf039.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    1 Citation (Scopus)
    16 Downloads (Pure)

  • Antarctic Blue Ice Areas are hydrologically active, nutrient rich and contain microbially diverse cryoconite holes

    Nowak, A., Isaksson, E., Sunde, Ø., Elvevold, S., Sandven, H., Moholdt, G., Hudson, S. R., Urset, A., Edwards, A., Rassner, S. M. E., Pearce, D., Hamre, B. & Hodson, A., 31 Dec 2024, In: Communications Earth & Environment. 5, 1, 13 p., 345.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    4 Citations (Scopus)
    81 Downloads (Pure)

  • Investigating the resistome of haemolytic bacteria in Arctic soils

    Mogrovejo‐Arias, D. C., Hay, M. C., Edwards, A., Mitchell, A. C., Steinmann, J., Brill, F. H. H. & Neumann, B., 31 Oct 2024, In: Environmental Microbiology Reports. 16, 5, 15 p., e70028.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    2 Citations (Scopus)
    25 Downloads (Pure)

  • Microbial genetic potential differs among cryospheric habitats of the Damma glacier

    Feng, M., Robinson, S., Qi, W., Edwards, A., Stierli, B., van der Heijden, M., Frey, B. & Varliero, G., 01 Oct 2024, In: Microbial genomics. 10, 10, 17 p., 001301.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    4 Citations (Scopus)

  • Temporal and spatial drivers of the structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages associated with Laminaria hyperborea detritus in the northeast Atlantic

    Gouraguine, A., Smale, D. A., Edwards, A., King, N. G., Jackson-Bué, M., Kelly, S., Earp, H. S. & Moore, P. J., 30 Jun 2024, In: Marine Environmental Research. 198, 9 p., 106518.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    5 Citations (Scopus)
    63 Downloads (Pure)

  • The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro-habitats

    Rassner, S. M. E., Cook, J. M., Mitchell, A. C., Stevens, I. T., Irvine-Fynn, T. D. L., Hodson, A. J. & Edwards, A., 01 Apr 2024, In: Environmental Microbiology. 26, 4, 17 p., e16617.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    7 Citations (Scopus)
    68 Downloads (Pure)

  • A global perspective on bacterial diversity in the terrestrial deep subsurface

    Soares, A., Edwards, A., An, D., Bagnoud, A., Bradley, J., Barnhart, E., Bomberg, M., Budwill, K., Caffrey, S. M., Fields, M., Gralnick, J., Kadnikov, V., Momper, L., Osburn, M., Mu, A., Moreau, J. W., Moser, D., Purkamo, L., Rassner, S. M. & Sheik, C. S. & 5 others, Sherwood Lollar, B., Toner, B. M., Voordouw, G., Wouters, K. & Mitchell, A. C., 17 Jan 2023, In: Microbiology (United Kingdom). 169, 1, 10 p., 001172.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    30 Citations (Scopus)
    13 Downloads (Pure)

  • Icescape-scale metabolomics reveals cyanobacterial and topographic control of the core metabolism of the cryoconite ecosystem of an Arctic ice cap

    Gokul, J., Mur, L., Hodson, A. J., Irvine-Fynn, T., Debbonaire, A., Takeuchi, N. & Edwards, A., 13 Nov 2023, In: Environmental Microbiology. 25, 11, p. 2549-2563 15 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    8 Citations (SciVal)
    89 Downloads (Pure)

  • Metagenome-assembled genomes from High Arctic glaciers highlight the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota and their activities to habitat loss

    Hay, M. C., Mitchell, A., Soares, A., Debbonaire, A., Mogrovejo, D., Els, N. & Edwards, A., 08 Nov 2023, In: Microbial genomics. 9, 11, 16 p., 001131.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    8 Citations (SciVal)
    5 Downloads (Pure)

  • Microbial dynamics in soils of the Damma glacier forefield show succession in the functional genetic potential

    Feng, M., Varliero, G., Qi, W., Stierli, B., Edwards, A., Robinson, S., van der Heijden, M. G. A. & Frey, B., 31 Dec 2023, In: Environmental Microbiology. 25, 12, p. 3116-3138 23 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    15 Citations (Scopus)
    27 Downloads (Pure)
View all 68 research outputs
View all 19 projects
View all 49 press/media
  • 3 Oral presentation
  • 2 Publication peer-review
  • 1 Membership of board
  • 1 Invited talk