I want to make a difference – to change the world in a good way and make the lives of people better. Both directly for those around me, and more broadly via discovery and through the impacts of my actions. With science and technology, I’ve been striving to make a difference every day as a biochemist, cell biologist and natural products biotechnologist for the last 30 years. My thirst for knowledge and discovery started at a young age. I’m naturally curious about how things work and then how they can be used, modified or integrated in novel ways, often developing creative solutions for better ways to do things. I'm somewhat of a polymath too, able to engage with experts in other fields and see far and wide within many paradigms. By applying these strengths to my research, I’ve developed an extensive track-record of academic and professional scientific achievements. This can be attributed to my focus on designing rigorous experimental approaches to really get to the crux of questions of interest.Reducing environmental impact and the link between this and human consumption is an area I’m particularly passionate about. This has led me to understand value chain design and the optimal use of resources. The basis of my research and professional specialty has centered around utilising algae to achieve this - looking at how to farm algae for carbon recycling/capture, renewable bioenergy production, bio-based materials and for healthy food ingredients, bioactives, nutraceuticals and cosmetic ingredients. My vision is that algal-derived products will be the basis of a sustainable bioeconomy as part of an industrial symbiosis.