Rhys graduated from UCD in 2021 with a 1st Class Honours degree in Microbiology. He is currently a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Tanja Narancic and Professor Kevin O’Connor. Rhys is interested in the application of biotechnology, primarily through microbes, to ultimately develop sustainable production methods for a greener society. Rhys is also keen on scientific communication and disseminating research to the wider public.

His PhD project aims to engineer metabolic pathways in bacteria to produce valuable compounds using plastic monomers as an energy substrate.