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Kew’s global fungal expertise, genomic infrastructure, living collections, and historic datasets make it uniquely positioned to lead advances in lichen biotechnology and fungal innovation.
Potential Research
Potential Research
Natural Products and Bioactive Compounds
Exploring secondary metabolites of lichens and lichen-associated fungi for pharmaceutical, antimicrobial, and antioxidant applications.
Symbiosis-Driven Innovation
Investigating lichen symbiosis as a model for stress tolerance, mutualism, and sustainable biological systems.
Extreme Stress Biology
Studying lichens as models for desiccation tolerance, UV resistance, and temperature extremes relevant to climate-resilient technologies.
Environmental Biotechnology
Developing lichen-based approaches for biomonitoring, bioremediation, and ecosystem restoration.
Mycobiome and Microbiome Research
Characterising fungal and bacterial communities associated with lichens to discover novel functional genes and pathways.
Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Metabolomics
Integrating multi-omics to uncover biosynthetic pathways and regulatory mechanisms in lichen-forming fungi.
Culture-Based Fungal Discovery
Isolating and cultivating lichen-associated fungi for biotechnology and applied research.
DNA-Informed Species Discovery
Linking taxonomy with functional traits to identify species with high applied potential.
Living Collections and Ex Situ Research
Developing experimental living lichen and fungal collections to support biotechnology research.
Bio-Heritage and Conservation Biotechnology
Applying fungal and lichen research to heritage conservation, stone ecology, and sustainable management of historic sites.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Connecting lichenology with chemistry, genomics, climate science, and conservation biology at Kew.
Translation and Impact Pathways
Identifying routes from fundamental research to applied outcomes, innovation, and policy relevance.
Bioprospecting
Bioprospecting
Bioprospecting focuses on exploring lichens as sources of novel bioactive compounds with applications in medicine, agriculture, materials science, and heritage conservation. Kew’s documented lichen diversity, combined with genomic and chemical infrastructure, enables the discovery of unique secondary metabolites, stress-tolerance mechanisms, and symbiotic pathways, while operating within strong ethical, legal, and biodiversity-access frameworks.
Genomics & DNA Barcoding
Genomics & DNA Barcoding
Genomics and DNA barcoding of lichens provide a modern framework for accurate identification, cryptic species discovery, and evolutionary research. Integrated with curated collections and long-term environmental data, these tools support biodiversity conservation, bioheritage diagnostics, and applied lichen science within a global World Heritage context.
Bioindicators & Biosensors
Bioindicators & Biosensors
Lichens function as powerful bioindicators and natural biosensors, responding sensitively to air pollution, nitrogen deposition, heavy metals, and climate stress. Changes in species composition, physiology, colour, and chemistry provide early warnings of environmental change, supporting monitoring, conservation, and sustainable management of natural and built environments.
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