About
About Charlay
Plant Biochemist · Entrepreneur · Science Communicator
I work on how plants build their chemistry, how those pathways can be re-engineered, and how the results reach people outside the laboratory.
I am a plant biochemist working on how plants build unusual chemistry and how those pathways can be redesigned. My current research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison sits between metabolic engineering and synthetic biology: redirecting the carbon that flows into aromatic metabolism, building new routes into crop plants, and establishing what limits how much of a compound a plant will actually make.
My doctoral work was enzyme discovery. I identified the enzyme that opens a plant alkaloid pathway and showed that its closest relatives are bacterial, evidence that the same chemistry has been arrived at independently more than once.
Alongside the science, I have held commercial roles and run my own business since 2016, across product sales, direct sales and team leadership, start-up operations, and now the commercialisation of research. I also hold a continuing part-time editorial position as Research Highlights Editor at The Plant Journal, I am a 2026 Plantae Fellow with the American Society of Plant Biologists, and I speak and write regularly about plant science.
Outside work I teach Argentine tango, study languages, and travel as often as I can.
Current work
What I’m doing now
Research
Redirecting carbon into aromatic metabolism, engineering new pathways into crops, and understanding what sets the limit on what a plant will produce.
Research →Science communication
Research Highlights Editor at The Plant Journal, a continuing part-time editorial position. Also a 2026 Plantae Fellow and a regular speaker and writer on plant science.
Speaking & Writing →Entrepreneurship
Business ownership, direct sales, start-up operations, NSF I-Corps, the commercialisation of scientific research, and an invited seat on the ASPB Business Development Working Group.
Ventures →Trajectory
Career path
- Now
Plant biochemistry & metabolic engineering — UW–Madison
Postdoctoral research on aromatic metabolism and metabolic engineering, and the development of a new synthetic biology project. Alongside it, Research Highlights Editor at The Plant Journal, a continuing part-time editorial position.
- 2020–24
PhD — University of York
Plant specialised metabolism and enzyme discovery, published in New Phytologist.
- 2017–20
Commercial & start-up experience
Entrepreneur in Residence at Rocket Internet in Shanghai, and direct sales and team leadership as an Account Manager at Alpha Gamma Solutions.
- 2016
First business
Established Danzarin, a small tango shoe business, during the business MSc. More on the ventures page.
- Earlier
Biochemistry, biotechnology and business training
BSc Biochemistry and MSc Biotechnology, Bioprocessing and Business Management, both at the University of Warwick.
Education
Three degrees
PhD Biology
Plant specialised metabolism and enzyme discovery. My thesis identified OLADO, the enzyme that opens the Securinega alkaloid pathway.
MSc Biotechnology, Bioprocessing & Business Management
A degree that combined bioprocessing with business management. The business half was the reason I chose it.
BSc Biochemistry
Where my interest in plants started.
Evidence
Selected recognition
Speaking recognition and competitive funding are listed separately, and awarded funding is never shown alongside applications still pending.
Speaking & communication
- 2026
Workshop facilitator, Phytochemical Society of North America annual meeting
Madison, Wisconsin · designed and facilitated the commercialisation workshop
- 2026
Best Speaker Award, Biobased Symposium
Madison, Wisconsin
- 2025
Invited seminar, University of Minnesota Duluth
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- 2023
Best Speaker Award, Phytochemical Society of North America
East Lansing, Michigan
- 2023
Best Speaker Award, Chem@York
University of York, UK
- 2022
Three Minute Thesis finalist
University of York, UK
Funding & fellowships
Awarded
- 2026
Plantae Fellowship, American Society of Plant Biologists
One-year fellowship.
- 2025
WARF Award, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
For the natural pigment work.
- 2025
PSNA Travel Award $1,000
- 2024
Funds for Female Graduates £2,500
- 2023
PSNA Travel Award $800
- 2023
Biochemical Society Travel Award £750
- 2023
Royal Society of Chemistry Travel Award £500
Submitted, decision pending
- 2026
NSF Technology Translation Program Pending
Application submitted. No decision has been made and no funds have been awarded.
Beyond work
Tango, languages and travel
I have taught Argentine tango for eleven years across the UK, China and the United States, and I run my own classes and milonga. I study languages, with Mandarin and Rioplatense Spanish the two I use most, and I travel as often as I can. The countries are pinned on a map on the travel page.
Outreach & service. Sense about Science Standing Up for Science, interviewer for the John Maddox Prize 2023, science outreach in schools and museums, and university science communication.
Affiliations. American Society of Plant Biologists, where I am an invited member of the Business Development Working Group, and the Phytochemical Society of North America (2023–), Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (2024–25), the Biochemical Society (2017–24) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (2021–23).