'I am driven by a deep sense of purpose to safeguard the Earth for future generations.'
The spark
'I was sparked by my high school chemistry teacher as well as my mother’s passion for nature and currently apply my spark to support reef restoration by developing underwater adhesives.'
Research aim
'I am driven by a deep sense of purpose to safeguard the Earth for future generations. Chemistry and materials science hold an important key to solve our current sustainability challenges.'
Real-world implications
'Underwater bioadhesives play an important role in the protection and restoration of marine environments such as the Great Barrier Reef and offer real benefits to our global society. I am excited that my current research is about to leave the laboratory and be tested in marine environments with the potential to be scaled up.'
The challenge
'The biggest hurdle regarding reef restoration to overcome lies in the scale of the intervention. Due to the large size of reefs, automation will be important, and we envisage that underwater adhesives will support these efforts.'
Key collaborators
'Collaboration across disciplines and sectors is key to my work. It is a true give-and-take by exploring different viewpoints and concepts. For example, I learnt a lot from my law colleagues about how legislation is developed and implemented and support them by explaining the science behind important legislative topics such as polymers, plastics and the circular economy.'
Key achievements
- The QUT bioadhesives team was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Universities Australia Shaping Australia Awards in the Problem Solver category for our work on underwater bioadhesives.
- I was the inaugural research director of the QUT Centre for a Waste-Free World – a multidisciplinary research centre focusing on sustainability and the circular economy.
- In 2024, I received the National Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Award for Chemical Service recognising my substantial contributions to the field of chemistry and enduring commitment to advancing the profession especially with regards to sustainability.
Key publications
Toth-Peter, A., Torres de Oliveira, R., Mathews, S., Barner, L. & Figueira, S. (2023). Industry 4.0 as an enabler in transitioning to circular business models: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 393.
De Keer, L., Cavalli, F., Estupinan, D., Kruger, A., Rocha, S., Van Steenberge, P., Reyniers, M., De Laporte, L., Hofkens, J., Barner, L. & D'Hooge, D. (2021). Synergy of Advanced Experimental and Modeling Tools to Underpin the Synthesis of Static Step-Growth-Based Networks Involving Polymeric Precursor Building Blocks. Macromolecules, 54(20), 9280–9298.
Mutlu, H. & Barner, L. (2022). Getting the Terms Right: Green, Sustainable, or Circular Chemistry? Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 223(13).
