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About

E. Toby Kiers is a leading evolutionary biologist whose research explores the hidden world of symbiotic trade, particularly the ancient partnership between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Her work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of how organisms exchange resources, using biological markets theory to reveal that plants and fungi engage in sophisticated, reciprocal "trade" strategies. Kiers’s most influential paper, “Core microbiomes for sustainable agroecosystems” (2018, over 1,000 citations), has become a foundational text in harnessing microbial communities for sustainable agriculture. Her groundbreaking 2025 study, “A travelling-wave strategy for plant–fungal trade,” demonstrates that fungi build networks using a wave-like growth pattern to optimize the costly trade of nutrients for carbon—a discovery that redefines how we view cooperative behavior in nature. A professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Kiers has received numerous accolades, including a prestigious Spinoza Prize. Her work bridges ecology, economics, and evolution, offering profound insights into the invisible networks that sustain terrestrial life and inspiring new approaches to global food security.