After the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, the scientific community has questioned what infectious agents are more likely to cause a subsequent pandemic in the future. Soil ecosystems are home to the greatest diversity of microorganisms on the planet. What if the next pandemic-causing pathogen is soil-borne? This question led Dickinson State University (DSU) student Jade Derby, a senior majoring in biology, to work with Dr. Eric Brevik, professor of geology and soils, and Dr. Joshua Steffan, associate professor of agriculture, microbiology and soil biology, to publish a paper together. The paper, titled “Soil Pathogens that may Potentially Cause Pandemics, Including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronaviruses,” was recently published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health. The paper is freely available here.