Improving global consumption and production patterns Name Areas of research Description Afra Alkatheeri biotechnology green industrial practices waste management Interested in bioproduction using yeast, so as to move awayfrom harmful chemical synthesis and enhance commercial prospects of labile bioproduction system. Prior experience as an academic researcher in membrane desalination may also help me to contribute. Eve Andrews renewable energy circular economy offshore wind Circular economy in offshore wind. Tools for renewable energy companies to select affordable steps towards a circular low carbon energy generation network. Mohit Arora circular economy urban sustainability low carbon construction engineering for development Interested 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 Bach data visualization data science public engagement Working 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 Baggs climate smart technologies agritechnology environmental change Development 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. Christopher Beckett sustainable construction, thermal performance, housing resilience Engineering behaviour of earth building materials and structures, aiming to improve their durability and design. Nicholle Bell environmental adaptation natural capital technologies for environmental monitoring Applying 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. Benjamin Bhawal organic chemistry catalysis Aims to develop new catalytic processes to unlock innovative chemical transformations. This will facilitate more efficient and environmentally benign processes. In addition, we are interested in designing new catalytic reactions for the valorisation of sustainable biorenewable chemicals. Fiona Bunn biotechnology circular economy metals Focus on bioleaching of critical metals from electronic wastes, contributing to the circular economy for a sustainable future. The rare earth metals that are at the top of the EU critical resources list, and viable solutions must be found for their effective recycling, especially from products such as electric car batteries, wind turbine magnets and mobile electronic devices. Dominic Campopiano biocatalysis industrial biotechnology sustainability Using 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. Efthalia Chatzisymeon environmental engineering water and wastewater treatment environmental sustainability Development of sustainable technologies for water and wastewater treatment; life cycle assessment of environmental processes and technologies. Michael Cowley chemistry discovering new chemistry for a sustainable society Working on the chemistry of the most abundant metals in the Earth’s crust - aluminium and silicon - to provide synthetic methods to prepare bulk and fine chemicals with lower energy costs and without reliance on limited reserves of precious metals. James Cumby materials AI batteries Creating new materials for future energy technologies, with the aim of diversifying and improving energy storage systems. To do this I combine synthetic chemistry with artificial intelligence to discover materials faster and more efficiently. Maria Grazia De Angelis environmental protection biomedical applications clean energy sustainable materials Membranes for greenhouse gas emission reduction, sustainable materials for packaging and other applications, and development of low water, accessible and inclusive hemodialysis processes. Tim Drysdale education alternatives to travel policy Interested in remote laboratories that eliminate the need for staff, students to travel to conduct practical work (for teaching, research, dissemination and outreach) as well as reducing the draw on natural resources by allowing fewer items of equipment to fulfill demand through sharing between sites. Virginia Echevarri-Bravo biotechnology synthetic biology nanotechnology Development 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. Yuta Era biotechnology recycling catalysis Aiming to convert waste metals to useful products such as catalysts, with a particular focus on catalysis promoted by biogenic metal nanoparticles. Andrew Free biotechnology anti-microbial resistance biogeochemical cycling Interested 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. Chris French biotechnology biomass pathway engineering Research on biomass degradation for sustainable non food-based feedstocks, also metabolic pathway engineering for conversion of sugars to valuable products as alternative to chemical processes. Jennifer Garden sustainable polymers catalysis materials Focus on improving the sustainability of plastics across their lifecycle. We approach this by making materials from renewable resources (e.g. plants and CO2), improving the efficiency of production processes (by making new catalysts) and investigating opportunities to improve recycling technologies. Agata Glusek-Kustusz molecular cell biology wet lab based sustainability Promotes sustainable solutions for working in research laboratories. This encompasses organisation of lab spaces, organisation of purchasing sustainable equipment and promoting sustainable behaviours. I am interested in new technologies that would aid sustainability in lab spaces and beyond. Ross Grassie quantum AI sustainability Interested in the potential of quantum computing to address sustainability challenges. Bjarnhedinn Gudlaugsson energy transition renewable energy energy policy Understanding decisions and policies in the context of the energy transition, energy system and policy implementation to provide practical information and support policy-making. Sian Henley ocean science polar regions ocean governance Focussed on making ocean science more sustainable and employing science to make human use of our fragile oceans more sustainable. Also interested in ocean science and observations to underpin effective evidence-based decision-making for ocean governance, policy and management to protect and restore them. Claire Hobday energy decarbonising heating and cooling Tackling 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 Horsfall sustainable biotechnology resource efficiency synthetic biology Translating 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. Amanda Jarvis green chemistry biotechnology Development of greener and more efficient methods for chemical production, with a focus on using knowledge from both Chemistry and Biology to design better catalytic processes. Susan Jarvis sustainable Food systems agritech animal welfare science Interested 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. Emily Johnston biotechnology microbial cell factories synthetic biology Development of yeast cell factories for the production of plant triterpenoid compounds. These compounds have huge potential in many industries; for example as surfactants in cleaning products, as vaccine adjuvants and anti-inflammatories in therapeutics, and as gelling agents and foam stabilisers in food products. Some compounds provide novel functionalities (SDG 3 and 9), while others are bio-based alternatives to petrochemical-derived chemicals (SGD 12 and 13). Caroline Kirk environmental remediation green energy storage Materials chemistry solutions for environmental issues using low cost and sustainable methods. This includes innovative and novel approaches for remediation of potentially toxic elements, developing new materials for applications in green energy storage and production of sustainable and low carbon cements. Marc Krautzberger renewable energy technological solutions to manage the nexus between climate change and poverty social science and policy Interested in how policymakers and firms manage competing demands (e.g. economic vs. environmental goals) in the process of developing and providing technological solutions in response to societal challenges. Sam Lau chemical separations desalination polymer science Interested in recycling plastic waste into polymer membranes and microporous polymers for chemical separations. We also deploy Green Chemistry principles to make these materials by deploying green solvents and biorenewable materials. Jason Love extraction recycling catalysis Expertise in chemistry of the recycling and extraction of metals from their ores and other sources, including electronic waste, with the aim to develop new, sustainable, and environmentally benign processes that promote the circular use of metals. Francisca Martinez Hergueta composites recycling manufacturing Life cycle assessment of sustainable composites. Development of recycling routes for thermoplastic materials and remoulding processes compatible with the structural requirements of the transport sector. Prediction of the mechanical response using finite element analysis and artificial intelligence/machine learning models. Dominic Moran environmental, agricultural and food systems economics Interested in definitions and metrics of sustainability, economic appraisal of technological options using non-market valuation, and behavioral and political appraisal of technology adoption. Adrian Muwonge digital health and agrictech digital health and agritech Bart Pander autotrophic biotechnology business Interested in non-photosynthetic autotrophic microbiology and biotechnology. Symon Podilchak AI sensors engineering Working on a UoE spinout which deals with AI and RF solutions for recycling. Alexandra Price renewable energy regenerative economy Work in renewable energy - designing tools to help researchers design control policies to make a step change in the viability of wave energy. Also interested in decarbonisation, including clean heat, co-housing, and regenerative economics. Pedro Rangel de Faria synthetic biology plastic recycling biochemitry Developing a biosynthetic pathway that allows the bacterium Escherichia coli to use monomers derived from PET plastics as precursors to more useful compounds, with more value added, allowing for a more sustainable and circular economy. Lynne Regan biotechnology agritechnology human health Expertise in biomaterials, such as hydrogels, made exclusively from recombinant proteins produced by bacteria. This method contrasts with those that use petrochemically derived components to synthesise such materials. Michael Rovatsos AI and its application to sustainability Focus on AI algorithms that can support the development of technologies supporting fairness, equality, and social justice. As part of my role at the intersection of research and innovation, I am also interested in many other areas of sustainability where AI and data science can be applied. Joanna Sadler biotechnology waste valorisation plastic degradation Development of novel biotechnologies to valorise post-consumer waste (in particular plastic waste) into high value products. This is ultimately aimed at enabling transition to a more sustainable, circular economy for the chemicals industry. Rosa Santomartino space microbiology astrobiology space biomanufacturing Building a sustainable future for space exploration, by developing microbial biotechnologies which will implement circular economy for life support systems. Ione Smith renewable energy recyclable composites tidal turbine blades Developing key offshore renewable energy technologies whilst minimising waste and impact. Evaluate the use of recyclable thermoplastic resin in the manufacture of a composite tidal stream turbine blade and the impacts on blade performance. Eva Steele biotechnology biorefinery circular economy Interested in valorisation of lignin, a major component of lignocellulose which is one of the most abundant sustainable and renewable resources on the planet. This will contribute significantly to the economic viability of second generation biorefineries. Iain Struthers renewable energy energy system environmental impact Life Cycle Assessment of prospective energy technologies and systems to assess the environmental impacts of technologies for a sustainable future. Specialised in offshore renewable energy, and other energy system technologies. Joyce Tait life science innovation policy and regulation responsible innovation Focus 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. Job Thijssen battery materials sustainable reformulation jedi (justice equity diversity inclusion) Interested in soft matter for sustainable energy materials, for example hybrid solid electrolytes for safer batteries, as well as the role of inclusion in current physics curricula. Camilla Thomson renewable energy environmental impact energy systems Developing analytical tools for better evaluating the environmental impacts of energy systems and technologies. This aims to inform the rapid transition to low-carbon energy systems and support sustainable development. This is achieved by both evaluating emerging technologies, and exploring how they can be best combined and developed to produce energy systems that are secure, equitable, economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable. This article was published on 2024-10-15
