Professor Michael McLaughlin’s outstanding research combines fundamental science and commercial application. He uses novel methods to study fertiliser and contaminant reactions in soils and plant uptake, including isotopic tracing and spectroscopy. He created the Australian National Biosolids Program, which forms the basis for guidelines controlling biosolid re-use. He developed concepts to recognise soil and environmental variability in contaminant risk assessments that have been adopted internationally and recognised by both US and EU regulators. Mike’s research has gained strong commercial success and his laboratory is regarded internationally as a leader in developing and evaluating fertiliser technologies.