Roz is interested in the efficacy of microbial inoculants applied to crops as sustainable alternatives to chemical inputs. She is particularly interested in the effective delivery of nitrogen fixing bacteria called rhizobia to legumes as a means of increasing inputs of biological nitrogen fixation in farming systems. Her work covers aspects of the microbial inoculant supply chain from formulation, quality and shelf life to application and conditions that contribute to efficacy in the field. Microorganisms are often exposed to stressful conditions during the inoculation process and are susceptible to desiccation. Roz’s research seeks to gain a fundamental understanding of how inoculant formulation and inoculation techniques affect desiccation tolerance and survival of inoculant microorganisms and their subsequent plant-growth promoting activity in the rhizosphere.