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Field of expertise: Forest science, Plant and Soil Biochemistry, Plant secondary compounds, Plant-soil-microbial interactions, Soil science, Development of biochemical/chemical methods (HPLC, LC-MS).

Author's details: Bartosz Adamczyk obtained his M.Sc. in Biology from University of Lodz, Poland in 2003. Just after obtaining Ph.D. in the field of Biology (Plant Physiology and Biochemistry) at University of Lodz, Poland, he moved to Finland for a post-doc at Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), and later at University of Helsinki, Finland. He obtained the title of docent (habilitation) from the University of Helsinki in 2013. From 2018 he has joined Luke, where he has started his Academy Research Fellowship in 2020. His interests span chemistry and plant secondary compounds, their role in boreal forest ecosystems, plant biochemistry and mitigation of climate change. He is an author of more than 40 peer-reviewed publications (including Nature Communications, New Phytologist, Soil Biology and Biochemistry), with an h-index of 20.

Abstract: Interaction between tannins and proteins has been studied for more than half of a century due to its significance for numerous fields of study. In chemical ecology, tannins are involved in response to environmental stress, including defense against pathogens, herbivores, and changing environmental conditions. The newest insights show that tannins may interact in similar way as with proteins also with other organic compounds, including fungal cell wall component, chitin. Considering that soil microorganisms, especially fungi have crucial role in accumulation and stabilization of organic matter, interaction of tannins with proteins and chitin may be of crucial importance for understanding the mechanisms behind soil carbon (C) stabilization. The newest insights in the field revealed that plant root-derived tannins interact with fungal necromass, rich in proteins and chitin. This interaction leads to fungal necromass stabilization in the soil. Thus, this novel explanation for C stabilization may be a hitherto overlooked mechanism that stabilizes microbial-derived C in boreal forest soils. This knowledge may be used in planning land use and management to mitigate climate change.