Dr Alexis Moschopoulos

I moved to the UK to study for a BSc in Plant Science at Aberystwyth University. Here I became fascinated with genetics so I moved to the John Innes Centre in Norwich for an MSc in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology. Here I stayed for a PhD in molecular genetics where I discovered a role for the chloroplast in developmental signalling pathways that control leaf shape. I then moved to industry to develop a method of reprogramming wheat pollen cells into viable embryos to accelerate wheat breeding programs. Wanting to return to academia, I then came to Sheffield for a postdoctoral position investigating the genetics of host resistance to a parasitic plant that causes devastating crop losses throughout sub-Saharan Africa. 

After the postdoc I started a company to develop my idea for a new type of plant growth chamber, a technology that plant scientists use to grow plants under controlled environmental conditions. At my company, called Grobotic Systems, we received a large Innovate UK grant to support our research and development program and have sold our chambers to universities and biotechnology companies around the UK. Finally, missing being in a community of learning and teaching, I joined the Department of Lifelong Learning in the summer of 2023 as University Tutor in Natural Science and Biology. Through Grobotic Systems I continue to develop technologies for growing plants at home and educational resources for growing plants in schools.