Ben Blades

I'm particularly interested in the power of genomics to further our understanding of the natural world and aid in its conservation and restoration.

As a research assistant for the Darwin Tree of Life project, my focus is on the culturing of UK native fungi species at Kew to enable the production of high-quality whole genome sequences. 

I'm also passionate about identifying fungi, plants and insects in the wild.

Prior to working at Kew, I gained experience culturing protozoa, algae, invertebrates and fungi for a biological supply laboratory.

I completed my MSci in Natural Sciences at Durham University, where my master's project focused on growing bacteria inside giant unilamellar vesicles.