Theo Llewellyn
PhD Student
Department
Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology
Team
Specialism
Lichen biology, Teloschistaceae, ecology, evolution, phylogenetics, taxonomy
Biography
I am interested in the evolution and ecology of lichenised fungi. My PhD is looking at the evolution of UV-protective pigments (anthraquinones) in lichens and how these pigments have allowed certain lineages to radiate into extreme habitats like deserts and mountain ranges. My work focuses on the Teloschistales and incorporates methods from phylogenomics, chemogenomics and metabolomics. I am an SSCP DTP student at Kew and Imperial College London.
Qualifications and appointments
- MSc Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew/Queen Mary University of London, 2019
- MSci Biological Sciences, University College London (UCL), 2018