Heather Whitney

• Friday

• The Germination Station

• 11:15

Heather’s research looks at plant interactions and the unusual ways that plants can manipulate the world around them. She started this area of research at University of Cambridge looking at the surface structures flowers produce that can help pollinator interactions and found that one type of nano-sized surface structure could generate floral iridescence.

Since moving to University of Bristol, she has continued to look at ways that plants can use nanomaterials, including natural structures that manipulate light either for colour generation on flowers and fruit or those that enhance the capture of light for photosynthesis. This research has led to further surprising discoveries, including several hidden signals that flowers produce (such as heat and humidity), as well as investigating flowers that use ‘living jewels’ to attract insects.