Photosynthesis in action - a lecture by Professor Elinor Thompson FRSB and Martyn Rush
An exclusive event for RSB members exploring photosynthesis in action: sparing and sharing land use for renewable energy.

Details

When? Wednesday 17 December 2025, 15:00 to 16:00
Members Only This is a members-only event
Where? Online (Zoom)
CPD Approved This event is approved for CPD

Photosynthesis in action: sparing and sharing land use for renewable energy 


Talk outline

Two members of a team that is testing new approaches to renewable energy generation on commercial farms will discuss dual land-use agrivoltaics - that is, how much shade from opaque and coloured-glass solar panels can be tolerated by crops. The team's research projects have aimed to show how it is possible to spare some open fields from being used for renewable energy generation in the countryside. How did crop and electrical yields compare with conventional systems, and will new generations of photovoltaics and batteries offer even more promise?

About our speakers

Martyn Rush is R&D Manager at Polysolar. His BSc in Chemistry from Leeds University has been followed by over 2 decades of experience in R&D, including work on analytical instruments for explosive detection and gas sensing. For the past 14 years, he has focused on organic photovoltaics (OPV), especially low-cost printed devices and material development. His expertise spans new materials discovery and innovative fabrication methods aimed at advancing sustainable energy solutions. 

Elinor Thompson followed a microbiology degree from Surrey with a stint working as a scientific writer before a PhD on photosynthesis in bacteria and plants at UCL. This allowed a move to the Cambridge Department of Plant Sciences, where she researched plant membrane proteins during two postdoc terms. She is Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Greenwich where, for the last few years, she has been contributing photosynthesis expertise to the evaluation of crop health and productivity in the developing area of agrivoltaics.

Chair

This webinar will be chaired by Professor Jeremy Pritchard FRSB, chair of ESP committee and member of the RSB Council.

Who should attend?

This talk would be of interest to scientists, students, and those interested in land use, agriculture and renewable energy. 

Cost and booking

This event is free to attend and exclusively for RSB members (including paid membership applications awaiting election). 


Special requirements

If you have accessibility requirements, please let us know during your booking using the additional information options, and we will do what we can to accommodate your needs.

Continuing Professional Development

This event is approved by the Royal Society of Biology for the purposes of CPD and can be counted as 3 CPD points.

Contact

For event, booking and website queries, please contact Lucy Eckersley at events@rsb.org.uk or on 020 3925 3445.

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