World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Microbiology
South Africa
2026
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Biology and Biochemistry
South Africa
2023

D-Index & Metrics

Microbiology

D-Index
81
Citations
24186
World Ranking
1094
National Ranking
3

Don A. Cowan publication distribution in Microbiology in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Microbiology in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Don A. Cowan sits on this spectrum.

55–64 publications: 8 scientists 65–74 publications: 29 scientists 75–84 publications: 55 scientists 85–94 publications: 112 scientists 95–104 publications: 137 scientists 105–114 publications: 190 scientists 115–124 publications: 235 scientists 125–134 publications: 234 scientists 135–144 publications: 288 scientists 145–154 publications: 264 scientists 155–164 publications: 264 scientists 165–174 publications: 253 scientists 175–184 publications: 276 scientists 185–194 publications: 190 scientists 195–204 publications: 233 scientists 205–214 publications: 207 scientists 215–224 publications: 198 scientists 225–234 publications: 155 scientists 235–244 publications: 161 scientists 245–254 publications: 160 scientists 255–264 publications: 146 scientists 265–274 publications: 139 scientists 275–284 publications: 148 scientists 285–294 publications: 115 scientists 295–304 publications: 96 scientists 305–314 publications: 88 scientists 315–324 publications: 106 scientists 325–334 publications: 65 scientists 335–344 publications: 76 scientists 345–354 publications: 64 scientists 355–364 publications: 62 scientists 365–374 publications: 65 scientists 375–384 publications: 61 scientists 385–394 publications: 34 scientists 395–404 publications: 44 scientists 405–414 publications: 36 scientists 415–424 publications: 35 scientists 425–434 publications: 29 scientists 435–444 publications: 33 scientists 445–454 publications: 34 scientists 455–464 publications: 25 scientists 465–474 publications: 26 scientists 475–484 publications: 20 scientists 485–494 publications: 19 scientists 495–504 publications: 16 scientists 505–514 publications: 17 scientists 515–524 publications: 23 scientists 525–534 publications: 14 scientists 535–544 publications: 14 scientists 545–554 publications: 18 scientists 555–564 publications: 12 scientists 565–574 publications: 7 scientists 575–584 publications: 9 scientists 585–594 publications: 9 scientists 595–604 publications: 9 scientists 605–614 publications: 7 scientists 615–624 publications: 9 scientists 625–634 publications: 7 scientists 635–644 publications: 4 scientists 645–654 publications: 5 scientists 655–664 publications: 6 scientists 665–674 publications: 7 scientists 675–678 publications: 3 scientists 679+ publications: 99 scientists
55 publications 679+

This scientist: 426 publications — 91st percentile

91% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 679 publications or more.

Don A. Cowan D-index placement in Microbiology in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Microbiology scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Don A. Cowan sits on this spectrum.

40 D-Index: 30 scientists 41 D-Index: 86 scientists 42 D-Index: 90 scientists 43 D-Index: 117 scientists 44 D-Index: 122 scientists 45 D-Index: 123 scientists 46 D-Index: 108 scientists 47 D-Index: 110 scientists 48 D-Index: 106 scientists 49 D-Index: 109 scientists 50 D-Index: 129 scientists 51 D-Index: 111 scientists 52 D-Index: 116 scientists 53 D-Index: 127 scientists 54 D-Index: 134 scientists 55 D-Index: 134 scientists 56 D-Index: 111 scientists 57 D-Index: 136 scientists 58 D-Index: 162 scientists 59 D-Index: 151 scientists 60 D-Index: 139 scientists 61 D-Index: 122 scientists 62 D-Index: 126 scientists 63 D-Index: 144 scientists 64 D-Index: 109 scientists 65 D-Index: 103 scientists 66 D-Index: 124 scientists 67 D-Index: 112 scientists 68 D-Index: 103 scientists 69 D-Index: 131 scientists 70 D-Index: 93 scientists 71 D-Index: 93 scientists 72 D-Index: 96 scientists 73 D-Index: 92 scientists 74 D-Index: 80 scientists 75 D-Index: 66 scientists 76 D-Index: 87 scientists 77 D-Index: 60 scientists 78 D-Index: 73 scientists 79 D-Index: 59 scientists 80 D-Index: 57 scientists 81 D-Index: 55 scientists 82 D-Index: 47 scientists 83 D-Index: 77 scientists 84 D-Index: 50 scientists 85 D-Index: 45 scientists 86 D-Index: 42 scientists 87 D-Index: 41 scientists 88 D-Index: 32 scientists 89 D-Index: 38 scientists 90 D-Index: 35 scientists 91 D-Index: 34 scientists 92 D-Index: 27 scientists 93 D-Index: 26 scientists 94 D-Index: 33 scientists 95 D-Index: 22 scientists 96 D-Index: 37 scientists 97 D-Index: 22 scientists 98 D-Index: 21 scientists 99 D-Index: 22 scientists 100 D-Index: 30 scientists 101 D-Index: 16 scientists 102 D-Index: 20 scientists 103 D-Index: 17 scientists 104 D-Index: 19 scientists 105 D-Index: 16 scientists 106 D-Index: 19 scientists 107 D-Index: 18 scientists 108 D-Index: 14 scientists 109 D-Index: 10 scientists 110 D-Index: 9 scientists 111 D-Index: 7 scientists 112 D-Index: 11 scientists 113 D-Index: 6 scientists 114 D-Index: 15 scientists 115 D-Index: 10 scientists 116 D-Index: 12 scientists 117 D-Index: 7 scientists 118 D-Index: 10 scientists 119 D-Index: 10 scientists 120 D-Index: 11 scientists 121 D-Index: 2 scientists 122 D-Index: 7 scientists 123 D-Index: 12 scientists 124 D-Index: 5 scientists 125 D-Index: 9 scientists 126 D-Index: 6 scientists 127+ D-Index: 95 scientists
40 D-Index 127+

This scientist: 81 D-Index — 81st percentile

81% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 127 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Microbiology in South Africa Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Microbiology in South Africa Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in South Africa Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in South Africa Leader Award
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa

Overview

Don A. Cowan is affiliated with the University of Pretoria in South Africa and has contributed extensively to research in environmental science, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and agricultural and biological sciences. Their work spans various subfields, particularly ecology, molecular biology, ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics, plant science, and atmospheric science.

Their research topics focus primarily on microbial community ecology and physiology, polar research and ecology, gut microbiota and health, biocrusts and microbial ecology, mycorrhizal fungi and plant interactions, genomics and phylogenetic studies, and plant pathogens and fungal diseases.

Recent papers authored or coauthored by Don A. Cowan include:

  • Blind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research, 2020, Nature Communications
  • Tracking, targeting, and conserving soil biodiversity, 2021, Science
  • Standardized multi-omics of Earth's microbiomes reveals microbial and metabolite diversity, 2022, Nature Microbiology
  • Multiple energy sources and metabolic strategies sustain microbial diversity in Antarctic desert soils, 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Distinct assembly mechanisms underlie similar biogeographical patterns of rare and abundant bacteria in Tibetan Plateau grassland soils, 2020, Environmental Microbiology

Frequent co-authors of Don A. Cowan include:

  • Pedro H. Lebre (33 publications)
  • Gillian Maggs-Kölling (23 publications)
  • Thulani P. Makhalanyane (21 publications)
  • Jean-Baptiste Ramond (21 publications)
  • Surendra Vikram (14 publications)

The venues where Don A. Cowan most frequently publishes are:

  • FEMS Microbiology Ecology (8 publications)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (7 publications)
  • Environmental Microbiology (6 publications)
  • Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi (6 publications)
  • Scientific Reports (6 publications)

In addition to journal articles, Don A. Cowan has contributed to book publications, including one titled Microbiology of Hot Deserts published by Springer Nature in 2022.

Don A. Cowan has been recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa.

Best Publications

  • Review and re-analysis of domain-specific 16S primers

    Gillian Baker;Jacques J. Smith;Donald A. Cowan

  • On the rocks: the microbiology of Antarctic Dry Valley soils.

    S. Craig Cary;S. Craig Cary;Ian R. McDonald;John E. Barrett;Don A. Cowan

  • Some like it cold: understanding the survival strategies of psychrophiles

    Pieter De Maayer;Dominique Anderson;Craig Cary;Don A Cowan

  • The search for the ideal biocatalyst.

    Stephanie G. Burton;Donald A. Cowan;Donald A. Cowan;John M. Woodley

  • Microbial ecology of hot desert edaphic systems

    Thulani P. Makhalanyane;Angel Valverde;Eoin Gunnigle;Aline Frossard

  • Metagenomic gene discovery: past, present and future.

    Don Cowan;Quinton Meyer;William Stafford;Samson Muyanga

  • Enhancing the functional properties of thermophilic enzymes by chemical modification and immobilization.

    Don A. Cowan;Roberto Fernandez-Lafuente

  • A reservoir of ‘historical’ antibiotic resistance genes in remote pristine Antarctic soils

    Marc W. Van Goethem;Rian Pierneef;Oliver K. I. Bezuidt;Yves Van De Peer

  • Thermophilic ethanologenesis: future prospects for second-generation bioethanol production

    Mark P. Taylor;Kirsten L. Eley;Steve Martin;Marla I. Tuffin

  • The Healthy Human Blood Microbiome: Fact or Fiction?

    Diego J. Castillo;Riaan F. Rifkin;Riaan F. Rifkin;Don A. Cowan;Marnie Potgieter

  • Xerotolerant bacteria: surviving through a dry spell

    Pedro H. Lebre;Pieter De Maayer;Don A. Cowan

  • Molecular adaptations to psychrophily: the impact of 'omic' technologies.

    Ana Casanueva;Marla I. Tuffin;S. Craig Cary;Don A. Cowan

  • Bacterial Diversity in Three Different Antarctic Cold Desert Mineral Soils

    Jacques J. Smith;Lemese Ah Tow;William Stafford;S. Craig Cary;S. Craig Cary

  • Endangered Antarctic Environments

    Don A. Cowan;Lemese Ah Tow

  • A roadmap for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science for the next two decades and beyond

    M.C. Kennicutt;S.L. Chown;J.J. Cassano;D. Liggett

  • Biomolecular stability and life at high temperatures.

    Roy M. Daniel;Don A. Cowan

  • Non-indigenous microorganisms in the Antarctic: Assessing the risks

    Don A Cowan;Steven Loudon Chown;Peter Convey;Marla Tuffin

  • Standardized multi-omics of Earth’s microbiomes reveals microbial and metabolite diversity

    Unknown

  • Sources of edaphic cyanobacterial diversity in the Dry Valleys of Eastern Antarctica

    Susanna A Wood;Susanna A Wood;Andreas Rueckert;Donald A Cowan;S Craig Cary

  • A correlation between protein thermostability and resistance to proteolysis.

    Roy M. Daniel;Don A. Cowan;Hugh W. Morgan;M.P. Curran

  • Phylogenetic analysis of actinobacterial populations associated with Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soils

    Olubukola O. Babalola;Bronwyn M. Kirby;Marilize Le Roes-Hill;Andrew E. Cook

  • Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soils contain unexpectedly high levels of microbial biomass.

    Don A. Cowan;Nick J. Russell;Adam Mamais;Devon M. Sheppard

Frequent Co-Authors

Antonio Ventosa
Antonio Ventosa University of Seville
William D. Grant
William D. Grant University of Leicester
Stephen B. Pointing
Stephen B. Pointing National University of Singapore
S. Craig Cary
S. Craig Cary University of Waikato
Yanhe Ma
Yanhe Ma Chinese Academy of Sciences
Evelien M. Adriaenssens
Evelien M. Adriaenssens Norwich Research Park
Ian D. Hogg
Ian D. Hogg University of Waikato
Yves Van de Peer
Yves Van de Peer Ghent University
Diana H. Wall
Diana H. Wall Colorado State University
Steven L. Chown
Steven L. Chown Monash University

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