Dr. Euan James – Bio for ECPP24

Dr. Euan James is a research leader at the James Hutton Institute, an interdisciplinary scientific research organization in Scotland that studies food and energy security, biodiversity and climate change. A plant and microbial scientist, Dr. James’ research has focused on studying root-nodulating symbiotic interactions. He is particularly interested in the interactions between legumes and certain soil bacteria, known as rhizobia, which “fix” atmospheric nitrogen gas into forms that the plant can use for growth. Dr. James has spent his career studying the diversity of nitrogen-fixing symbioses in the roughly 15,000 legumes around the world that are known to nodulate. His work at the James Hutton Institute has wider implications for the health and well-being of the people of Scotland, as the increased cropping of nitrogen-fixing legumes can lead to a decrease in chemical fertilizer applications, groundwater pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, soil loss and habitat destruction, as well as an increase in crop diversity. Dr. James previously served as a World Bank-funded consultant in Brazil. In addition to his work at the James Hutton Institute, he also collaborates with colleagues at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh to conduct research into the ecology of nitrogen-fixing “Ice-Age relic” plants, whose existence is under threat due to climate change. Dr. James studied agricultural and environmental science at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he first became interested in how agriculture impacts the environment. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Dundee, where his dissertation focused on how oxygen regulates nitrogen-fixation in legume nodules.