The PlyMSEF Medal Lecture is a prestigious annual event celebrating significant contributions to marine science. It provides an opportunity to hear from leading researchers and celebrate Plymouth’s internationally recognised marine science community.
Date: Wednesday 11 November 2026
Time: 6:15–8:00 pm
Speaker: Professor Colin Brownlee, Marine Biological Association.
This year’s lecture is titled Animal, vegetable and mineral: The remarkable physiologies of oceanic biomineralizing phytoplankton. In the talk, Professor Brownlee will explore the remarkable biology of two groups of phytoplankton: diatoms, which build their cell walls from silica, and coccolithophores, which produce intricate scales made of calcium carbonate. Both are photosynthetic and contribute significantly to ocean productivity and global biogeochemical cycles.
He will address the remarkable biology of two groups of phytoplankton: diatoms, which build their cell walls from silica, and coccolithophores, which produce intricate scales made of calcium carbonate. Both are photosynthetic and contribute significantly to ocean productivity and global biogeochemical cycles.
Drawing on fascinating discoveries about their evolution and physiology, the talk will explore how these tiny organisms possess some surprisingly animal-like characteristics, alongside the specialised mechanisms that allow coccolithophores to build their mineral structures. The research also has important implications for understanding how marine life will respond to future changes in ocean chemistry, with potential applications extending into biomedical research.
Professor Colin Brownlee is a Lankester Research Fellow at the MBA and Professor Emeritus at the University of Southampton. He previously served as Director of the MBA from 2007 to 2017 and has an extensive research background in phytoplankton cell biology, exploring how these microscopic organisms grow, develop and respond to changes in their environment.
Colleagues, students and anyone with an interest in marine science are warmly encouraged to attend.
