What's your favourite thing about fungi?

"From a molecular perspective, fungi are like dark matter.  We know almost nothing about the genes that regulate their development. This void of knowledge, together with their plasticity as a system, points to the enormous potential there is to manipulate the form and metabolism of fungi. It's a really exciting space."

Why does this job matter to you?

"My role as Founder and Chief Scientific Officer is important to me for a number of reasons, but two really stick out. Firstly, sustainability is a core driver for me. By culturing microorganisms, we are able to efficiently diversify the types and properties of a variety of foods and materials that we currently have, and such production can be a key driver for people to live sustainably on the planet. Secondly, I thrive in small, focused research teams - they really are the most powerful and exciting way to work and Sapro-Tech is ticking that box."

What should people know about Sapro-Tech that they may not already know? 

"Fungi are the major recyclers in the ecosystem, simultaneously performing both degradation and synthesis of form. We believe that there is great potential to facilitate and modify the synthesis activity of fungi to create materials with various properties. This is at the core of what we do at Sapro-Tech."