I am a plant scientist working at the intersection of natural and semi-artificial photosynthesis. In 2025, I launched the Bioelectricity Group at the University of Turku. Our research explores how photosynthetic organisms exchange electrons with their environment and how we can harness these processes for sustainable technologies. We work across plant science, microbiology, biophysics and bioelectrochemistry, studying photosynthetic bacteria, plants and symbiotic soil microorganisms.
A major focus of my research is the discovery that photosynthetic bacteria can both export and import electrons, potentially switching direction as their environment changes. My CyanoSWITCH project, supported by a Research Council of Finland Academy Research Fellowship (2025–2029), investigates the molecular mechanisms controlling this extracellular electron transfer, including the roles of redox regulation and circadian rhythms. In parallel, my Photo-Bio-Batteries project, funded by a Novo Nordisk Foundation Emerging Investigator grant (2026–2031), asks whether this bidirectional electron transfer can be used to charge, store and discharge electricity in living biohybrid batteries.
I am also fascinated by the evolution of photosynthesis, and I hypothesise that electricity generation by ancient cyanobacteria may have helped establish the metabolic interactions that ultimately led to endosymbiosis and the evolution of modern chloroplasts in plants. Ultimately, I want to understand the fundamental bioelectricity of photosynthetic life and contribute to using that knowledge to develop new approaches for renewable energy and more sustainable crop production.
I trained at the Australian National University and briefly worked at the CSIRO, before completing my PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge in 2021, under the supervision of Professor Chris Howe. I then joined the University of Turku as a postdoctoral researcher, and have undertaken research visits to Humboldt University of Berlin and Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Bluesky: @lauratwey.bsky.social
Twitter: @lauratwey
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/laura-wey-04255b380