Liz Koziol, PhD
Assistant Research Professor
Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas
Dr. Liz Koziol is a plant–microbe ecologist whose research focuses on restoring native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to improve ecosystem restoration and sustainable agriculture. Her work bridges fundamental fungal ecology and real-world applications by developing the science, technology, and best management practices needed to restore beneficial soil fungi at landscape scales.
Her research spans the entire restoration pipeline—from conserving fungal biodiversity in living collections to developing regionally adapted inoculants, optimizing field application methods, and evaluating long-term ecological outcomes. By integrating ecology, biotechnology, and restoration science, her goal is to make native mycorrhizal fungi a standard component of restoration and agricultural management.
In addition to her research, Dr. Koziol serves as Associate Curator of the International Collection of (Vesicular) Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (INVAM), the world's largest living collection of AMF, and is the Founder and Chief Science Officer of MycoBloom LLC, a biotechnology company developing native fungal inoculants for restoration, conservation, and agriculture.
Research Interests
🌾 Native Mycorrhizal Restoration
Developing science-based methods to restore native fungal communities alongside native plants to improve biodiversity, ecosystem function, and long-term restoration success.
🍄 Fungal Conservation & Living Collections
Advancing fungal conservation through INVAM by preserving global fungal diversity, developing propagation protocols, and providing research infrastructure for restoration and biotechnology.
🚜 Sustainable Agriculture
Investigating how native mycorrhizal fungi improve crop productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, soil health, and agricultural resilience in both annual and perennial cropping systems.
🧪 Restoration Technology
Developing scalable inoculum production, quality standards, and field implementation strategies that translate fungal ecology into practical restoration solutions.
Select
Publications
Commercial Inoculants
L. Koziol, T.P. McKenna, J.D. Bever. 2025. Meta-analysis reveals globally sourced commercial mycorrhizal inoculants fall short. New Phytologist 246, 821-7.
Native Inoculants
L. Koziol, J.T. Bauer, E. Duell, K. Hickman, G.L. House, P.A. Schultz, A. Tipton, Gail W. T. Wilson and James D. Bever. 2022. Manipulating plant microbiomes in the field: native mycorrhizae improve restoration quality. Journal of Applied Ecology. 59 (8), 1976-1985.
Plant-soil Feedbacks and Succession
Koziol, L., and J.D. Bever. 2019. Mycorrhizal feedbacks generate positive frequency dependence accelerating grassland succession. Journal of Ecology 107(2), 622-632