Dr James Lloyd, Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia, is reimagining how we design crops for the future, on Earth and beyond. Current genetically modified crops rely on simple “always-on” traits like herbicide resistance, but many beneficial features, such as producing oils in leaves or triggering certain disease resistances, can’t be added without harming the plant.
Dr Lloyd’s research develops synthetic gene circuits, biological systems that act like computer processors, allowing plants to make logical decisions about when and where to activate genes. These smart circuits enable crops to precisely respond to their environment, such as turning on drought resistance only when needed or producing valuable compounds once growth is complete.
His work is now applying this technology to real-world challenges: improving agricultural productivity through plants that sense and adapt to their surroundings, and even engineering plants to produce medicines on-demand for space exploration. From helping farmers on Earth to supporting astronauts on Mars, Dr Lloyd’s research is shaping the future of synthetic biology.