Zoom into Soil: Soils and Pollinators

In this webinar to mark World Bee Day, hear from Professor Jeff Ollerton, Professor Sara Leonhardt and Dr Siul Ruiz as they discuss ‘Soils and pollinators – a complex dependency’.

Professor Jeff Ollerton is an ecologist, author and consultant with more than 35 years’ experience studying the natural world, particularly plant–pollinator interactions and their importance for biodiversity, food production and society. He has published more than 190 scientific articles and book chapters, and his research has informed national and international initiatives to conserve pollinators and pollination services.

Prof. Dr. Sara Diana Leonhardt is a Professor of Plant–Insect Interactions at the Technical University of Munich. Her research focuses on the chemical and ecological mechanisms that shape interactions between plants and insects, with a particular emphasis on bee health and biodiversity. She has held the professorship for Plant–Insect Interactions at TUM since 2019 and was appointed Vice Dean of Research at the TUM School of Life Sciences in 2025. Prior to joining TUM, she led a research group at the University of Würzburg and also served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Prof. Leonhardt studied biology at the University of Würzburg and Duke University in the United States and completed her doctoral degree in 2010 with research focusing on resins and tropical bees.

Dr. Siul Ruiz is a Lecturer in Bioengineering Science at the University of Southampton, where his research focuses on the physical and mechanical processes that govern biological activity in soils and plant–soil systems. He is affiliated with the Bioengineering Science Research Group at Southampton and holds a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.