Interested
in working together?

An Intro Call is designated time to see if we're a good fit to work together. The insight gained from this meeting helps us tailor our communications and serve you better. We are a very small team (1.5 people!), please respect our time with serious business inquiries only. If you are trying to contact us for any other reason, please continue reading our FAQ’s for the appropriate avenue to reach us. If the idea of this intro call sounds unnecessary to you, or you're frustrated by the scheduling process, then you probably won't have a good experience working with us! If that's the case, we encourage you to find a lab technician that's a better fit for what you're looking for, by visiting soilfoodweb.com

We're based near Austin, Texas. We receive samples from anywhere in the continental United States.

Rhizos provides specialized biological analyses using shadowing microscopy – this is the most precise way to evaluate soil biology and is not available at most large third-party labs. Additionally, Rhizos doesn’t have a large staff like most conventional soil testing labs. This means we’re limited in our capacity for processing samples, but unlike larger labs we offer high touch communications to help you make the most of your lab results. Our intention is for every client to feel empowered by the insights gained through a microscope assessment. Please note, we do not offer any chemical analyses.

You may be used to sending off samples to labs without notifying them; we require scheduling assessments, here's why: The microbiome in a sample can change with time, so it’s important any one lab technician only receive as many samples in a week as can be processed timely. Additionally, our lab technicians have different addresses, so assessments need to be scheduled so you know where to send each round of samples. Once you've been onboarded as a new client, booking is simple: We need to know how many samples you’re sending and what type (soil, compost, liquid, other). You will send this info via an order request form accessible through the client portal. We typically respond the same day to confirm your booking and provide you with the shipping address for the location to send your samples to. Samples that arrive without a booking will be subject to a fee of $10 per sample and may risk not being processed timely.

Our capacity to offer site visits for soil sampling is very limited and can only be provided to Austin-area businesses at this time. If that’s you, go ahead and book an intro call! Site Visits start at $150.

Biological Assessments are $120 / sample and include the following: ✔ Nematode Assessment ✔ Protozoa Assessment ✔ Fungi Assessment ✔ Bacteria Assessment ✔ Discussion Document ✔ Microscope Photos / Videos ✔ Complimentary Follow-Up Call

Clients can expect a report 5 business days from the date their sample(s) are received by the lab.

We offer business-to-business services, our clients include: commercial farmers, commercial compost makers, cannabis growers, landscape and turf managers, research scientists, agronomists, ecological conservationists, and more!

We provide biological assessments and consultation regarding assessment results. Our capacity for further consultation is very limited and can only be provided to Austin-area businesses at this time. If that’s you, go ahead and book an intro call! Consultation rates are ~$100 / hr. We specialize in lab services, if you have a project-based need or are seeking general consultation for cultivation practices and are not located in the Austin area, below are some resources for finding consulting services. Biological Farming & Compost Making: Soil Food Web (SFW) - SFW Certified Consultants Regenerative Ranching & Holistic Farming: Holistic Management International (HMI) - Find a HMI Certified Educator

We perform shadowing microscopy using Dr. Elaine's™ Soil Food Web lab protocol to evaluate key organisms in the soil food web: bacteria, actinobacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes.

No, Rhizos only evaluates soil biology. We support taking an interdisciplinary approach towards soil health. i.e. making informed decisions based on soil biology, soil texture, and soil chemistry insights.

No, not at this time. To differentiate saprophytic from mycorrhizal fungi requires staining techniques that Rhizos is not currently equipped to perform. Rhizos specializes in shadowing microscopy and performs Dr. Elaine's™ Soil Food Web protocol, which evaluates the key organism groups that make up the soil food web.

After an intro call, you will receive an invitation to a client portal where you can access sampling guides and submit order request forms. A shipping address will be provided for each order in an order confirmation email.

You won't find our shipping addresses listed on our website. Only clients who have completed an intro call, have been onboarded to the client portal, and placed their first order will be provided a shipping address. If you're an existing client, to book your assessments login to the client portal to submit an order request form. We typically respond the same day with an order confirmation and a shipping address for that order. The shipping address may be different from order to order, so even if you've sent us a sample before, don't assume where to send your samples. Always schedule assessments to receive the correct shipping address. Samples that arrive without a booking will be subject to a fee of $10 per sample and may risk not being processed timely.

Sampling guides are provided in the client portal to all onboarded clients. To become a client, start by booking an intro call!

In most cases we're able to offer 15 - 20% off the listed service price for non-profit (501c3) organizations, just ask!

Thanks for considering me (Andie) to participate in your event! I can't accommodate every request, but would love to hear about your event and what you're looking for, fill out this form to tell me more and I'll be in touch.

Yes! I (Andie) love sharing the soil microbiome with others in creative ways. Tell me more about your project here and I'll be in touch.

Thanks for considering me (Andie) as a guest for your podcast! While I can't accommodate every request, I'd love to learn more about your podcast, fill out this form and I'll be in touch.

I so appreciate your interest in this work! Though I hope to some day, I am not currently able to accommodate internships or shadowing of any kind. The best way to learn more about what I do is to follow along on instagram @soilissexy and check out my newsletter at soilissexy.substack.com If you have specific questions you'd like to see answered, you can DM me your Q on instagram, reply to a newsletter, or submit it to hello@rhizos.science and we'll try to incorporate it into a public post!

No, we don’t offer any kind of tutoring. If you’re struggling with the curriculum, reach out to the school directly to let them know what you need help with to succeed!

We do not offer any microscope coaching, but we learned how to properly use a microscope through the Certified Lab Technician program at Soil Food Web School and highly recommend it! If you've already got the basics down and are looking for help with organism identification, we created a Microorganism Digital Library with over 100 images/videos to help train your eye for all the key organism groups. If you’d like to purchase the library for download it is available for $150, to inquire email hello@rhizos.science with subject line: "Microbe Library" 🔬

Awesome! You can find me on LinkedIn here :)