New PreMiEr Publication: Nationwide Project Brings Students Into Soil Microbiome Research
PreMiEr researcher Joseph L. Graves Jr. is among the coauthors of a Nature Genetics paper describing BioDIGS, a collaborative initiative training students at more than 40 institutions in soil microbiome research.
BioDIGS is a nationwide initiative that brings students, researchers and educators from more than 40 institutions into soil microbiome research. In a new Nature Genetics paper coauthored by PreMiEr researcher Joseph L. Graves Jr. of NC A&T, the consortium describes how participants collect soil samples, run computational analyses and interpret results to understand how soil microbes relate to the environment and human health. Participating schools range from two year colleges to R1 universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities, giving students hands on research experience through class labs, course based research and independent projects. The project aims to advance soil science while expanding access to genomic data science training.
Read more here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02442-5