Linnea is a soil microbial ecologist driven by a passion for discovering the mystery of what microbes are doing belowground and their role in soil and plant health. She elucidates soil microbial activity using multi-omics alongside stable isotope probing. Currently, Linnea is working on multi-omics integration strategies to uncover microbial roles in carbon cycling. Previously, she has also focused on microbial drivers of an often-overlooked subset of carbon: volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Through this work, Linnea aims to understand how microbial processes drive geochemical and nutrient cycling in the face of environmental change.

Ph.D. Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science (Minor: Microbiology), University of Arizona

B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 2001

^, co-first author

15) Hernandez, L. K., N. Didonato, L. Pasa-Tolic, P. F. Chuckran, M. K. Firestone, E. T. Sieradzki, M. M. Yuan, K. Estera-Molina, J. Kimbrel, P. Dijkstra, J. F. Banfield, J. Pett-Ridge, S. J. Blazewicz. (2025). Reduced legacy precipitation decreases microbial community growth efficiency and alters soil organic carbon in a California grassland. Under revision, Microbiome Journal. (bioRxiv preprint https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.23.678135)

14) Geffrey, Parker N., J. Krechmer, D. H. Hagan, J. Gil-Loaiza, L. K. Hernandez, J. H. Shorter, R. R Roscioli, L. K. Meredith. (2026). Isoprene degradation in soil: evidence for competition between chemical and biological degradation in response to isoprene priming. Geo-Bio Interfaces. Published online 2026:1-32.

13) Jardine, K. J., L. K. Honeker, Z. Zhang, S. W. Kengdo, Y. Yang, J. Riscioli, W. J. Riley. (2025). Evolutionary and functional relationships between plant and microbial C1 metabolism in terrestrial ecosystems (Tansley Review). New Phytologist. 248 (3): 1132-1153.

12)  Meredith, L. K., S. M. Ledford, K. Riemer, P. Geffre, K. Graves, L. K. Hernandez, D. LeBauer, M. M. Tfaily, J. Krechmer. (2023). Automating methods for estimating metabolite volatility. Frontiers in Microbiology. 14:2023.

11) Hernandez, L. K., G. Pugliese, J. Ingrisch, J. Fudyma, J. Gil-Loazia, E. Carpenter, E. Singer, G. Hildebrand, L. Shi, D. Hoyt, R. Chu, J. Toyoda, J. E. Krechmer, M. S. Claflin, C. Ayala-Ortiz, V. Freire-Zapata, E. Y, Pfannerstill, L. E. Daber, M. Dippold, J. Kreuzweiser, S. N. Ladd, C. Werner, M. M. Tfaily, and L. K. Meredith. (2023). Drought induces soil microbial stress responses and emissions of volatile organic compounds in an artificial tropical rainforest. Nature Microbiology. 8:1480-1494.

10) Hildebrand, G. A^, L. K. Honeker^, V. Freire-Zapata, C. Ayala-Ortiz, S. Rajakaruna, J. Fudyma, L. E. Daber, R. AminiTabrizi, R. L. Chu, J. Toyoda, S. E. Flowers, D. W. Hoyt, R. Hamdan, J. Gil-Loaiza, L. Shi, M. A. Dippold, S. N. Ladd, C. Werner, L. K. Meredith, and M. M. Tfaily. (2023). Uncovering the dominant role of root metabolism under drought in tropical rainforest plants. Science of the Total Environment. 899:165689.

9) Marques dos Santos, M., V. Pivniouk, B. Rank, A. Walker, G. Pagani, N. Hertkorn, P. Schmitt-Kopplin, C. Müller, F. Bracher, J. Merl-Pham, S. Hauck, A. N. Michael, D. Anderson, J. Gozdz, M. Holbreich, L. K. Honeker, F. D. Martinez, S. A. Snyder1, E. von Mutius, and D. Vercelli. (2023). Asthma-protective agents in dust from traditional farm environments The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, S0091-6749(23)00706-6.

8) Honeker, L.K.^, G. A. Hildebrand^, J. Fudyma, L. E. Daber, D. Hoyt, S. E. Flowers, J. Gil-Loaiza, A. Kübert, I. Bamberger, C. R. Anderton, J. Cliff, S. Leichty, R. AminiTabrizi, J. Kreuzwieser, L. Shi, X. Bai, D. Velickovic, M. A. Dippold, S. N. Ladd, C. Werner, L. K. Meredith, and M. M. Tfaily. (2022). Elucidating drought tolerance mechanisms in plant roots through ¹H-NMR metabolomics, MALDI-MS, and NanoSIMS imaging technologies. Environmental Science & Technology. 56:2021-2032.

7) Werner, C., L. K. Meredith, S. N. Ladd, J. Ingrisch, A. Kübert, J. van Haren, M. Bahn, K. Bailey, I. Bamberger, M. Beyer, D. Blomdahl, J. Byron, E. Daber, J. Deleeuw, M. Dippold, J. Fudyma, J. Gil-Loaiza, L. K. Honeker, J. Hu, J. Huang, T. Klüpfel, J. Krechmer, J. Kreuzwieser, K. Kühnhammer, M. M. Lehmann, K. Meeran, P. K. Misztal, WR. Ng, E. Pfannerstill, G. Pugliese, G. Purser, J. Roscioli, L. Shi, M. Tfaily, J. Williams. (2021). Ecosystem fluxes during drought and recovery in an experimental forest. Science, 374:1514-1518.

6) Hernandez, L. K., K. R. Graves*, M. M. Tfaily, J. E. Krechmer, L. K. Meredith. (2021). The volatilome: a vital piece of the complete soil metabolome. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 9:1-9. (One of 25 articles to be chosen as Editor’s pick of 2021).

5) Pivniouk, V.^, J. Gimenes-Jr.^, Honeker, L. K.^, Vercelli, D. (2020). The role of innate immunity in asthma development and protection: Lessons from the environment. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 50:282-290.

4) Hernandez, L. K., C. F. Gullo*, J. W. Neilson, J. Chorover, R. M. Maier. (2019). Effect of re-acidification on buffalo grass rhizosphere and bulk microbial communities during phytostabilization of metalliferous mine tailings. Frontiers in Microbiology.10:1209.

3) Honeker, L. K., J. W. Neilson, R.A. Root, J. Gil-Loaiza, J. Chorover, and R. M. Maier. (2017). Bacterial rhizoplane colonization patterns of Buchloe dactyloides growing in metalliferous mine tailings reflect plant status and biogeochemical conditions. Microbial Ecology. 74:853-867.

2) Honeker, L. K., R. A. Root, J. Chorover, and R. M. Maier. (2016). Resolving colocalization of bacteria and metal(loid)s on plant root surfaces by combining fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with multiple-energy micro-focused X-ray fluorescence (ME μXRF). Journal of Microbiological Methods. 131:22-33.

1) Birky, C. W., Jr., C. Wolf, H. Maughan, L. Herbertson, E. Henry. (2005). Speciation and selection without sex. Hydrobiologia 546:29-45.

• EMSL Exploratory Research Award (2025)
• Data Science Fellow (2022 - 2023)
• BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020)
• NIH T32 (NRSA) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2018 – 2020)
• Abstract award and scholarship at American Thoracic Society International Conference (2019)
• PEO Scholar Award (2016)
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2013 – 2016)
• PhytoScholar at the 10^th International Phytotechnologies Conference (2013)
• Great Lakes STEM National Scholarship (2012 - 2013)
• Poster award for advanced skill and technique in microscopy at Arizona Imaging and Microanalysis Society Annual Conference (2013)

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