Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems NameAreas of researchDescriptionMohit Aroracircular economyurban sustainabilitylow carbon constructionengineering for developmentInterested in the current state of resource efficiency in urban systems and industries, and develops technological and policy interventions for a low carbon future. Mohit has worked with several cities to improve their materials management towards a more circular economy. In low and middle income countries, he is focusing on engineering driven solutions to achieve low carbon development solutions for buildings and construction sector.Benjamin Bachdata visualizationdata sciencepublic engagementWorking on data visualization and making data accessible and understandable by experts and non-experts. Data visualization is essential in understanding complex processes and data sets. Especially, techniques from storytelling and visual communication have huge potential to communicate findings and information to large and diverse audiences. Liz Baggsclimate smart technologiesagritechnologyenvironmental changeDevelopment of mitigation strategies for greenhouse gas emissions from agri-environment systems. This includes international partnerships, and with non-academic stakeholders, to enhance a circular nutrient economy that lowers reliance on inorganic fertilisers in smallholder farming systems. Nicholle Bellenvironmental adaptationnatural capitaltechnologies for environmental monitoringApplying advanced analytical technologies to understanding how peatlands, Earth's largest terrestrial carbon store, adapt to human activities and climate change. Many believe peatlands store carbon due to the antimicrobial properties of certain molecules, however until now our ability to 'see' inside peat has been hindered by the fact that peat is the most complex mixture on Earth.Dominic Campopianobiocatalysisindustrial biotechnologysustainabilityUsing biocatalysts (natural and engineered) to catalyse chemical reactions, as well as developing chemical tools to reduce waste and increase yields of enzyme-catalysed chemical reactions.Virginia Echevarri-Bravobiotechnologysynthetic biologynanotechnologyDevelopment of biological methods for recycling and up-cycling metals contained in spent lithium ion batteries; metal bio-recycling methods can support the development of more sustainable/greener recycling methods for enabling a circular economy. Reduce reliance on the current sources of raw materials associated with human rights abuses and decrease mining activities that have a negative effect on human and environmental health.Victor ElviraAIstatisticssignal processingInterested in time-series, Bayesian modeling, and statistical methods for inference/prediction. Most of the tools I develop can be directly applied in problems relevant to sustainability.Andrew Freebiotechnologyanti-microbial resistancebiogeochemical cyclingInterested in the application of microbial communities to bioremediation, sustainable waste treatment and energy generation from waste. We also have interests in the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance and approaches to tackling it.Claire Hobdayenergydecarbonising heating and coolingTackling issues of heating and cooling through understanding and developing solid-state refrigerant materials. We do this by analysing the structure of materials via diffraction and computational methods and understanding how the refrigerant properties are altered.Louise Horsfallsustainable biotechnologyresource efficiencysynthetic biologyTranslating academic research into novel industrially-usable platforms for the sustainable production of scientifically improved enzymes, bio-based chemicals and other bio-derived materials by exploiting new analytical and bio-based technologies. Our disruptive innovations will lead to the development of unique and sustainable new products, derived from wastes and by-products, and demonstration of their cost-efficient and energy-saving production using novel biomanufacturing technologies.Susan Jarvis sustainable Food systemsagritechanimal welfare scienceInterested in Sustainable Food Systems, and in particular the role of animal welfare science to ensure sustainable and socially acceptable food production systems. Leads the delivery of UG programmes and courses in Global Agriculture and Food Security, as well as the DDI Agritech Talent programme aimed at upskilling learners in data science and technology relevant to sustainable food systems. Joe Kennedysustainable food systems AIchronic diseaseWorks on simulations to assess the health and environmental impact of shifting diets. I'm interested in utilising novel machine learning methods in such simulations to boost their performance as well as integrate new datasets to assess a broader array of questions involving land use change and biodiversity impacts. Ruth Kingecologystatistics/AIconservationExpertise in statistical ecology, and in particular developing new statistical tools and associated model-fitting tools to analyse different types of ecological data. The aim is to improve our understanding of the given ecosystem which in turn may aid, for example, conservation management.Oisin Mac AodhaAI for conservationAI for educationDevelopment of automated AI-based solutions for golobal scale biodiversity monitoring and computer-assisted tools for providing scalable and cost effective personalised education. Dimitri Mignardwater-energy-food nexusagritechnologydesalinationTechnologies for irrigation, desalination and energy access, assisting with access to clean water, food production and reforestation, all using clean energy, and dedicated to serve poor communities in low income countries. Dominic Moranenvironmental, agricultural and food systems economicsInterested in definitions and metrics of sustainability, economic appraisal of technological options using non-market valuation, and behavioral and political appraisal of technology adoption. Diego Oyarzúnbiotechnologysynthetic biologyAIdata scienceComputational modelling and data science for better biotech solutions to global sustainability challenges.Bart Panderautotrophic biotechnology bussinessInterested in non-photosynthetic autotrophic microbiology and biotechnology.Matthew Staitisgeologypalaeoclimatologyclimate scienceInterested in the study of past climates (palaeoclimatology) to inform us of the consequences we face under different scenarios and highlights humanity's role as a geological force in shaping our climate future going forward.Joyce Taitlife science innovationpolicy and regulationresponsible innovationFocus on genetic technology solutions to challenges relevant to Net Zero and biodiversity policy objectives, considering: development of business models and value chains for innovative technologies; regulatory systems, standards and guidelines and how they can support of constrain innovation. Christopher WoodbiotechnologyAIbioinformaticsDeveloping new methods for protein design. We collaborate broadly to apply our methods to address challenges in sustainability, both in agriculture and industry. We have a particular interest in developing protein-based sensors as well as novel enzymes that incorporate unnatural cofactors to expand their chemistry. This article was published on Monday 25 May 2026
