Professor Alison Smith

Professor Alison Smith was University Professor in Plant Biochemistry, and Head of the Department of Plant Sciences. After graduating in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol, she carried out her PhD work in the Department of Biochemistry in Cambridge. On appointment as a member of staff of the Department of Plant Sciences, she was elected a Fellow of the College, and was Director of Studies in Biological Sciences for many years. She also served as Admissions Tutor, Tutor and Fellow in Charge of Gardens. Her research interests are focussed around the metabolism of plants, algae and bacteria, in particular of vitamins and cofactors, and more recently for compounds of commercial interest such as high-value compounds and biofuel precursors. Projects include the use of synthetic biology to develop microalgae as platforms for the production of therapeutic plant natural products, and investigation of the role played by vitamins in the interaction of microalgae with other microbes in the environment. She has interacted with industry throughout her career, from agrichemical to oil companies to small start-ups, seeking to promote ways in which her research could have impact, and was a founding member of the Algal Biotechnology Consortium in 2007. In 2016 she established the Algal Innovation Centre in Cambridge, a pilot-scale facility to allow testing of algal-based solutions under natural conditions.

Research Interests

Metabolic pathways in plants and algae