Professor of Environmental Microbiology
I am a professor of molecular and environmental microbiology at the University of East Anglia and Ocean University of China. My international research team is interested in how a broad range of microbes, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, drive global biogeochemical and climate-active gas cycling. My research group conducts interdisciplinary research focused on elucidating the mechanisms that allow diverse organisms to synthesise and breakdown key biological molecules and their importance in diverse environments.
The molecules we study, for example dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), are important for surviving stressful environments, driving chemotaxis and nutrient cycling and they can influence the climate. We also study how these processes are regulated allowing organisms to sense and respond to environmental cues. Furthermore, my team devise innovative ways to use the organisms, enzymes and pathways we identify for biotechnology facing projects to e.g. biologically produce high-value chemicals, engineer stress resistant crops and enhance sustainable agriculture.