André Filipe da Silva Sousa is a researcher in applied microbiology and sustainable agriculture, with a strong focus on developing microbial solutions to enhance crop resilience to abiotic stresses. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (2022, 16/20) and an MSc in Biotechnology from FCT-NOVA (2024, 18/20), where he developed innovative biotreatments based on halophile bacteria to mitigate the impacts of soil salinisation on agriculture. He is currently a PhD student in the Plant Biology — Plants for Life program at ITQB NOVA, where he investigates plant–microorganism interactions, focusing on the potential of halophilic bacteria to improve crop performance under salt stress. His scientific output includes five peer-reviewed publications in Plant Stress, Soil Systems, Frontiers in Microbiology, Microorganisms, and Plant and Soil, including papers as first author, as well as a conference article accepted at the XVI Simposio Internacional Hispano-Portugués de Relaciones Hídricas en Plantas. He has presented his work at national and international conferences, delivering oral presentations at XX Congreso SEFIN / III BeMiPlant, SymBioCORE 2025 and the AgriFood Open Day ’24, and eight poster presentations at events such as the XI Meeting of the Specialized Group of Plant Microbiology (Granada, Spain), the XIX Congreso SEFIN / II BeMiPlant (Salamanca, Spain), and the 7th International Conference on Biotic Plant Interactions (Hangzhou, China). His participation in the Global Research Immersion Program for Young Scientists (GRIPS) at Zhejiang University further strengthened his international research experience. In addition to his research activities, André is actively involved in science communication and outreach, participating in initiatives such as Fascination of Plants Day, ITQB NOVA Open Day, and the European Researchers’ Night. He is a member of the Sociedad Española de Fijación del Nitrógeno (SEFIN) and the Portuguese Society of Microbiology (SPM), and has received distinctions including the GRIPS Merit Award and the InnOValley IOV PoC Fund Winner Award. His work reflects a strong commitment to advancing sustainable biotechnology through innovative microbial strategies and interdisciplinary collaboration.