Our first PGR cohort

"I have always been fascinated by how we can engineer organisms to produce useful products (e.g. biopharmaceuticals), improve their function (e.g. crop yield), or perform useful tasks (e.g. bioremediation). This curiosity has taken me on a diverse journey through a BSc in Biotechnology, an MSc in Biopharmaceutical Development, and through internships at Ipsen, Fujifilm Diosynth and the Sainsbury Laboratory. 

Most recently, I have been working on improving protein expression in Marchantia polymorpha chloroplasts at the University of Cambridge, which provides a platform for incredibly cheap, scalable, and sustainable biomanufacturing. 

During the Plant BioDesign PhD programme, I am most looking forward to learning about and implementing the tools that are transforming how we engineer biology, for instance, machine learning, automation, and advanced gene circuits."

"I completed my integrated Master's degree in Biology at the University of Leeds in 2025, where I developed a strong interest in plant science and biotechnology. 

I am excited to join the Plant BioDesign programme and am especially looking forward to working in an interdisciplinary environment, developing new skills, and helping to translate fundamental plant science into real-world applications."

"I completed my undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences at Cambridge in 2025, specialising in Plant Sciences. I then went on to the John Innes Centre for an MSc by Research, looking at the combined impact of plasmodesmal closure and temperature stresses on plant immune responses.

I’m excited to develop my experimental and bioinformatics skills at Plant BioDesign, especially through learning how to design and test new synthetic gene expression modules for my project."

"I previously studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge where I specialised in biochemistry and undertook research on the properties of cellulose nanofibrils. 

In my spare time I row and tend to my pot plants.

I'm deeply committed to combating climate change, so Plant BioDesign is an exciting opportunity to both continue researching plant cell walls and to help develop green solutions." 

"Hi, I'm Zac, a plant scientist from Cork, Ireland. My plant sciences journey started when I studied for an integrated Master of Biology degree at the University of Oxford. My final year research focused on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis: a symbiotic interaction between soil fungi and plant root systems.

After graduating, I joined the crop-engineering startup Wild Bio. There, I developed my love for photosynthesis and had the privilege of being involved in the design of new photosynthetic traits in crops.

I'm incredibly excited to begin my research on plant photoprotection, to work with my new supervisor Dr. Johannes Kromdijk, and to meet the other enthusiastic plant scientists on the Plant BioDesign program!"

"I grew up in Liverpool, and moved to London to study Biological Sciences at Imperial College London. I became interested in engineering plant systems in the second year of my undergraduate degree, when I had the opportunity to lead an iGEM project in plant engineering biology. Following this, I specialised in metabolic engineering and plant biology during my final year at university. After graduating, I pursued an MPhil in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge to further develop as an independent researcher. My work in the Howe Lab focused on the unusual chloroplast genome of S. microadriaticum dinoflagellates, which form symbiotic relationships with corals.

I'm excited to start my doctoral research project where I will continue at Cambridge and join the Prywes Lab in the Department of Biochemistry to use cutting edge approaches in machine learning and cryo-EM to engineer rubisco enzymes.

As part of the Plant BioDesign DTP, I am most excited to develop interdisciplinary skills, particularly in the application of machine learning to protein engineering. I am also excited to learn more about science policy and how to translate biotechnological breakthroughs to real-world tools.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy painting and both playing and listening to live music. I also love hiking and being outdoors."

Awaiting information...