Distinguished Professor Andy Ball is the Director of the ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia’s Biosolids Resource at RMIT University. Researching in aquatic and soil microbiology, microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology for over 40 years, he has published 340 ERA-eligible scholarly publications. His research can be divided into three interdependent themes: exploiting microbial metabolism to develop sustainable environmental biotechnologies, understanding the response of natural microbial communities to contamination and changing environments, and understanding the role of microorganisms in the cycling of elements in natural ecosystems.