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Dr Isabella Fiorello has joined the Department of Life Sciences as Assistant Professor. We caught up with her to hear her story and her plans in her new role.

Welcome to ImperiaLife Sciences, Isabella! We’re excited to have you join us here. Could you tell us a little about yourself and your academic background? 

I am Italian. I have a background in biotechnology, having completed a Bachelor’s in Molecular Biology and a Master’s in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Turin. I moved to Pisa for my PhD in biorobotics from Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies - the birthplace of biorobotics! After this I moved to Genoa for my postdoc at the Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory, then to the University of Freiberg in Germany, where I led the Biohybrid Machines group. I also received a Fulbright grant and spent six months at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in the USA. I have just arrived here at Imperiaas Assistant Professor, where I am starting my lab on hybrid plant-inspired machines, mainly for applications in robotics, space exploration, and ecosystem conservation and restoration.      

"I plan to work on hybrid robotic machines that not only are inspired by nature but also incorporate biological components, such as natural tissues or cells. These components can give the machines additional functions, including sensing and responding to their surroundings." Dr Isabella Fiorello Assistant Professor, Life Sciences

What brought you to º£½ÇÉçÇø, and what are you most looking forward to in your new role?

In my group I plan to work on hybrid robotic machines that not only are inspired by nature but also incorporate biological components, such as natural tissues or cells. These components can give the machines additional functions, including sensing and responding to their surroundings. I would love to develop multifunctional systems that can work in real-world environments, such as forests, aquatic systems and drylands. I plan to do this in small-scale machines ranging from micrometre to centimetre scales, that will be designed to adapt to complex terrain and work in confined or difficult-to-access environments. For example, these systems can also be used to deliver seeds or fertiliser in the soil or to sense specific parameters on leaf tissue or directly on plants.

But they can also have applications in space environments or even in medical applications – they are applicable across a range of areas and the possibilities are really exciting.

It sounds like one of the exciting aspects of your work is its multidisciplinary nature, bringing together biology, materials science and robotics. What other applications are you particularly excited about?

My background is in biotechnology and I have a PhD in biorobotics – but I’m always connected to biology. My work brings together biology, materials science and robotics.

I am particularly interested in space applications and in using these devices in remote, confined or difficult-to-access environments. My interest in biorobotics began through a project developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency, and I have remained fascinated by the potential of these technologies for space exploration.

Plant-hybrid robotics is still a relatively new area within biorobotics, and there are so many plant structures and mechanisms that remain to be explored and translated into new robotic machines. I'm really excited about the fact that we can use very small-scale machines to do something useful for our environment and also for our society, whether it be a system that can deliver seeds in the soil or that can deliver fertiliser - whatever our needs may be in a confined environment. 

Is there a particular project or piece of research you’re currently working on that you’re especially excited about?

I am working with my PhD student on a project around aquatic plants that can be dispersed by water and used for delivery in water. These plants can attach to the soil and then degrade, releasing seeds in underwater environments and helping with ecosystem restoration.

I’m continuing to work with hybrid plant robots that can be used for reforestation applications. I also plan to look at other plants that can disperse and move through different environments and release different payloads.  

Finally, what do you enjoy doing outside of academia? 

I love travelling. I have a cat who is currently still in Turin! I love sushi, cinema, and restaurants. I used to play soccer.  

Find out more and get in touch

Isabella would love to hear from prospective PhD students interested in joining her group to work on plant-inspired robots. In addition, she is planning to launch a start-up and is looking for investors.

If you’d like to find out more about Isabella’s work or explore opportunities to collaborate with her, please contact her at i.fiorello@imperial.ac.uk

Useful links

• Winner of Falling Walls Lab Italy competition with plant-powered robot