Rate My Professor Ashley Franks

Professor Ashley Franks is the Professor of Applied and Environmental Microbiology in the Department of Microbiology at La Trobe University, where he also holds the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Capability). He established the Franks Lab for Applied and Environmental Microbiology, which investigates microbial community structure and functions at interfaces, including those with plants, soils, microbiomes, electrodes, sewer systems, and submarines. Franks earned his PhD in marine microbial ecology from the University of New South Wales, during which he received the Adrian Lee Fellowship and collaborated with Exeter University in the UK. Following his doctorate, he was awarded a Government of Ireland Fellowship in Science, Engineering and Technology at the National University of Ireland, University College Cork from 2005 to 2007, focusing on microbial interactions in the plant rhizosphere as part of the European Union Pseudomics project. He then joined the Geobacter Project at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, serving as Senior Research Scientist from 2007 to 2008 and Assistant Professor (Research) from 2009 to 2011, where he led projects in the Extracellular Electron Transfer Group and collaborated with institutions such as the Naval Research Laboratories, Cornell University, the University of Toronto, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Harvard University.

Upon returning to Australia, Franks joined La Trobe University in 2011 as Senior Lecturer in Environmental Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, and has since been promoted to Professor. His pioneering research has significantly influenced the fields of microbial ecology and electromicrobiology. Key publications include 'Bacterial endophytes: recent developments and applications' (2008), 'Direct exchange of electrons within aggregates of an evolved syntrophic coculture of anaerobic bacteria' (2010), 'Microbial electrosynthesis: feeding microbes electricity to convert carbon dioxide and water to multicarbon extracellular organic compounds' (2010), 'Tunable metallic-like conductivity in microbial nanowire networks' (2011), and 'Geobacter: the microbe electric's physiology, ecology, and practical applications' (2011), which have collectively received thousands of citations. Franks has obtained substantial research funding, including from the Australian Research Council such as Linkage Project LP140100459 valued at $324,587. He was admitted to the ARC College of Experts and holds Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) certification. His work extends to public engagement through lectures and committee roles.