• Professor Alan Goddard will explore how biology could inspire new approaches to separating molecules from water
• His inaugural lecture will examine how nature’s highly selective cell membranes could inform the development of synthetic membranes
• The lecture will take place at Conference Aston on 21 October and will also be streamed online

Professor Alan Goddard, professor of biotechnology and head of biosciences at Aston University, will give a public lecture about his research into bioinspired membranes on 21 October 2026.

His inaugural lecture, Overcoming Separation Anxiety: Building Better Bioinspired Membranes, will explore how cross-disciplinary work can lead to new ideas for tackling the challenge of separating molecules from water.

Separating molecules from water is a universal challenge, traditionally tackled using membranes – thin barriers that selectively allow certain substances through while holding others back.

Traditional membranes, however, can be relatively unselective, meaning that purifying a single molecule can require multiple stages. Nature has developed a much more sophisticated approach.

Cell membranes can selectively transport molecules with remarkable precision, often achieving in a single step what conventional separation processes may require multiple stages to accomplish.

Many of the molecules to be separated are pollutants that must be removed from water, while others are valuable products that can be recovered and reused.

Professor Goddard’s research explores whether the principles used by biological membranes can be harnessed to create smarter synthetic membranes that can separate molecules more selectively and efficiently.

His career has spanned several scientific disciplines. He studied biological sciences with molecular genetics at the University of Warwick before completing a PhD researching yeast pheromones. He then undertook two postdoctoral research positions at the University of Oxford before becoming a lecturer, then senior lecturer in biochemistry, at the University of Lincoln.

Professor Goddard joined Aston University in 2016, where he has held roles including programme director for BSc Biochemistry and associate dean education.

Professor Goddard is training and industry lead for the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), an interdisciplinary research hub focused on the real-world application of membrane science.

He is also chief scientific officer of the MEMetic project, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), where he is working with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to explore new approaches to filtration.

Professor Goddard said:

“After a decade at Aston, it’s an honour to be given the opportunity to do a lecture where there is a good chance the audience will still be awake at the end! I’m grateful for the chance to express thanks to some important colleagues and show a little of the work our labs have been doing together over the years.”

The inaugural lecture will take place on Wednesday 21 October 2026 at Conference Aston, with refreshments available from 17:30 BST. The lecture will begin at 18:00 BST, followed by a drinks reception and networking. The lecture will also be streamed online.

Register to attend the lecture in person or online.