Regular biography
Alison Smith is a Fellow at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the School of Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on metabolism, vitamins, synthetic biology, algal-bacterial interactions, and algal biotechnology. She investigates vitamin and cofactor biosynthesis in plants, algae, and bacteria. Her work employs techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics, confocal microscopy, and analytical methods like HPLC/GC-MS/LC-MS/FTIR. Smith's research themes include the study of algal-bacterial interactions and the application of synthetic biology in biotechnology.
Scholar-generated biography
Prof. Alison G. Smith is a biochemist specializing in the study of algae and their biochemical interactions. Her research explores the nutritional and functional roles of algae, focusing on their ability to acquire essential vitamins like B12 through symbiotic relationships with bacteria. She investigates the biochemistry of photosynthesis, tetrapyrrole metabolism, and the potential of algae as sustainable sources for biofuels and food. Her work also includes synthetic biology approaches to develop algae as industrial biotechnology hosts. Smith's research emphasizes the molecular mechanisms underlying algal-bacterial interactions and the genetic regulation of vitamin biosynthesis in algae.