Matthew Wallenstein is a Professor and Department Head of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. He is a soil microbial ecologist who studies how microbes drive nutrient cycling, soil formation, and decomposition, and affect crop health and productivity. His group has elucidated novel mechanisms by which plants control the assembly of the microbiome in their rooting zone, and has shown how this affects plant fitness. After working primarily in natural systems for many years, he shifted his attention to agricultural systems with the aim of applying his expertise in soil microbiomes, nutrient cycling, and plant-microbe interactions to sustainable agriculture. He led the development and commercialization of microbial biostimulants that increase nutrient availability as the Chairman and co-founder of Growcentia, Inc.