Belay Berza Beyene (Ph.D.)

Full Name:  Belay Berza Beyene (Ph.D.)

1. Academic rank: Associate Professor of Applied Microbiology
2. Institutional email: belayy_berza@dmu.edu.et
3. Googlescholar:https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=hKSFn6wAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&gmla=AIfU4H5KUlDl2AE1Jvd5sr9fwZAQLj8NfjH_wCWxUEhhNu-Sf1YG3EPAIP5X8G7aDV-Htd9l3RQaJcKyLWztQSuC
4. ORCID  ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4324-7962.
5. Scopus ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57221094406.
6. WoS ID: http://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/[ResearcherID]
7. Specialization:  Applied Microbiology
8. Courses taught: Undergraduate program: General microbiology, Applied microbiology, Mycology, Virology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, General Biology, Remedial Biology, Immunology, Biotechnology, biochemistry, Research methods and scientific report writing in science.

Postgraduate program: Microbial physiology and biochemistry, Soil Microbiology; Environmental Microbiology, Rhizobiology and inoculants technology, Biology of pathogenic microorganisms, Laboratory techniques in microbiology and molecular Biology, MSC seminar

Achievements and awards:

1. I established international collaborations networks with Professors and institutions  (5)
2. I won the 2024 TWAS-DFG Cooperation visiting fellowship for scientists from Sub Sahara Africa by standing 1 of the 25 awardees among more than 500 applicants.
3. I won the 2014 TWAS-DBT Postgraduate biotechnology sandwich fellowship by standing 1 of the 50 awardees among more than 250 applicants from the global south.
4. I Got a certificate for participation in an international conference “Landscape 2024” organized by ZALF and Humboldt University of Berlin in September 16-20/2024,.Berlin Germany
5. I advised 7 students’ Msc theses researches in applied microbiology (plant-microbe interactions) at DebreMarkos University and assisted the students to graduate with very good and excellent results/marks (2022-2025).
6. I reviewed and examined 9 Msc theses researches at University of Gonder and MadaWalabu University, Ethiopia, 2021-2024.
7. I successfully completed a project entitled “Biofertilization and Biofortification of major food crops with zinc by using zinc mobilizing rhizobacteria” funded by DebreMarkos University within the planned time period (2021-2024).
8. I  successfully completed and certified “ Basics to Advanced Bioinformatics, Genomics and NGS data analytics” organized by Nextgenhelper,New Delhi, India, From August 13-31/2022.
9. I successfully completed and certified “Mastering Grant Proposal Writing: Pathways to successful Research Funding (2025), From February 25—March 31, 2025. Hosted by Authoraid community of NORHED Universities, Norway

Research interest: Plant-microbe interactions that include but not limited to Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, AMF, Nitrogen fixation, plant-micro biomes, biological control,Biofertilizers,Biofortification,bio-irrigation, Ethiopian traditional fermented foods and beverages

List of publications

1. Belay BerzaBeyene(2025). The bio-irrigation concept:  The plant nutrient and water transferring roles of the common mycorrhizal network in arid and semi-arid agriculture. Qiang-Sheng Wu (Ed)Management of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis for Mycoremediation and Phytostabilisation
2. BelstiAtnkut, Atalaye Nigussie, Belay Berza,AbrahamMikru, BaisuoZhao,TessAstatkie(2024) Mycotoxins contaminations in Ethiopian food: Impacts, challenges,andmitigation strategies. Food Control, 111066.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.111066
3. Belay BerzaBeyene and FassilAssefaTuji (2024). Inoculation of Erythrinabrucei with plant-beneficial microbial consortia enhanced its growth and improved soil nitrogen and

Phosphorous status when applied as green manure,Heliyon 10 (2024) e30484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30484.

• JemalyimerKebede, Marcela Claudio Pagano,BelayBerzaBeyene and FassilAssefaTuji (2023). Diverse arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi species associate with indigenous trees in a natural forest, Mycological Progress (2023) 22:77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-023-01922-4.
• Belay Berzaand FassilAssefa (2023). Inoculation of rose (Rosa rubiginosa L., eglantine or the briar rose) flower root stocks with consortia of endophytic bacteria and arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi improves its establishment and success rate under greenhouse conditions , Rhizosphere, 22,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2023.100698
• Belay Berza, JeganSekar, PrabavathyVaiyapuri, Marcela C. Pagano and FassilAssefa (2022) Evaluation of inorganic phosphate solubilizing efficiency and multiple plant growth promoting properties of endophytic bacteria isolated from root nodules of Erythrinabrucei, BMC Microbiology, Vol.22.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-022-02688-7
• Belay Berza , Marcela C Pagano , Prabavathy VR, FassilAssefa (2022) Inoculation of woody legume tree Erythrinabrucei with microbial consortia increases growth, nodulation and shoot nitrogen and phosphorus under greenhouse conditions . Biotechnology Reports Vol. 33, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2022.e00707
•  Belay Berza , Marcela Claudia Pagano , V.R. Prabavathy , Zerihun Belay , FassilAssefa  (2021b)  Arbuscularmycorrhizal status of Erythrinabrucei in different land use types in Ethiopia, Applied Soil Ecology 165, 104018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104018
• Belay Berza ,JeganSekar , PrabavathyVaiyapuriRamalingam , Marcela C. Pagano , FasilAssefa (2021a) Genetically and functionally diverse symbiotic and non-symbiotic native bacteria colonized root nodules of Erythrinabrucei growing in different land use types in Ethiopia, Rhizosphere17 (2021) 100301 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2020.100301
• Berza Belay ,WoldeAwuraris (2014).  Fermenter Technology Modification Changes Microbiological and Physico-chemical Parameters, Improves Sensory Characteristics in the Fermentation of TellaAn Ethiopian Traditional Fermented Alcoholic Beverage. J Food Process Technol5 (4)  http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7110.1000316.
• Belay Berza, KebedeAbegaz,TameruAlemu and FasilAssefa.(2012). Isolation, Characterization and Identification of Post-havest Spoilage Fungi of Ginger (Zingiberofficinale) at Hadaro-Tunto and Boloso-Bombae, Southern Ethiopia, International Journal of Life Sciences Vol.1, No.2., 2012., Pp. 19-27
• Research and project information (completed and ongoing): 1 completed and 1 ongoing
• MSc and/or PhD students advised (ongoing and Graduated):= 9