浪花直播

On 28th July 2021 Dr. Jenny Zhang of the Department of 浪花直播, University of Cambridge received the award of the 2020 RSC Felix Franks Biotechnology Medal.  She was presented with the award at the (on-line) RSC International Solar Fuels Conference by Professor Steve Harding, Chair of the Award Committee immediately before Jenny鈥檚 Keynote lecture 鈥淧hotosynthesis on an electrode鈥�.  

Jenny, a BBSRC David Phillips Fellow, has been a key player in the advancement of bio-photoelectrochemistry in the preceding 5 years. Bio-photoelectrochemistry focusses on the 鈥榳iring鈥� of natural photosynthetic components to electrodes and forms the foundation of emerging sustainability-driven biotechnologies such as (photo)microbial fuel cells (biophotovoltaics) and semi-artificial photosynthesis devices for solar power/fuel generation. Jenny propelled the field forward by uncovering novel electron transfer pathways at the bio-material interface (Nature Chem. Biol., 2016), rigorously assessing the electrocatalytic potential of living photosynthetic cells (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018), and coordinating a flagship ERC project on 鈥楽emi-artificial Photosynthesis鈥�.  Jenny currently applies the lessons gained from her protein-film photoelectrochemistry work to develop novel microbial electrodes for solar power generation, solar fuel generation and biosensing, in ways that avoid using environmentally unsustainable materials. She is also continuing efforts to identify and explain the complex interplay of charge transfer pathways at bio-electrode interfaces. The outstanding nature of Jenny鈥檚 work stems from her multi-disciplinary background and ability to congruously integrate disparate fields (e.g. artificial with biological photosynthesis, material science with microbiology), which allowed her to establish new connections and make breakthroughs in the field.