Balwant Singh is Professor of Soil Science at the University of Sydney. He has over 35 years of research and teaching experience in Australia, India, the UK and the USA. His research interests include understanding the structural and chemical properties of soil clay minerals, adsorption reactions of trace elements at the mineral-water interface, phytoremediation of toxic elements, biochar and organic carbon interaction with soil minerals, and micronutrients availability in soils. Dr Singh has co-edited two books (Biochar: A Guide to Analytical Methods and Synchrotron-based techniques in Soils and Sediments) and over 200 research papers and book chapters. Elsevier, Burlington, USA. He is fellow of four scientific societies and recipient of various awards including The Marion L. and Chrystie M. Jackson Soil Science Award by the Soil Science Society of America and Marion L. and Chrystie M. Jackson Mid-Career Clay Scientist Award by Clay Minerals Society. Dr Singh has served as a Chair of the Soil Mineralogy Commission of International Union of Soil Sciences, President of the Australian Clay Minerals Society and President of the Australian Society of Soil Science, NSW Branch.