Dr. Irina Kravchenko has an MSc in Soil Science from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia (1979), and a PhD in Microbiology from the Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences (INMI RAS), Moscow, Russia (1984). Since 1982, they have been a Junior researcher/Research fellow/Senior researcher/Lead researcher at INMI RAS, Moscow, Russia. They are a soil microbiologist working on problems of microbial trace gas transformation and plant–microbe interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. Since 2013, they have coordinated 12 research projects funded by the Russian and European Union Programs and participated in 15 others. They authored about 90 scientific papers in refereed journals and seven book chapters (international editions). They have supervised 10 MSc and 3 PhD students in Russia and abroad. They are a member of the Interregional Russian Microbiological Society and the Russian Society of Soil Science. They were the recipient of the following: USSR Exhibition of National Economy Achievements Bronze Medal (1986) and Laureate (1988); Fellowship of DWTC Affairs, Belgium (1999-2000); Fellowship for ERCA, France (2001); and Fellowship of the Catalonia Government (2003).