This Nanotechnology Expert Works with Both Plant and Brain cells

Could Markita Landry’s research group be any more interdisciplinary? Markita Landry is the first to admit that the two applications her research addresses – imaging brain chemistry and delivering genetic material into plants – are rather divergent. Landry’s work pioneering nanoscale chemical tools to address disparate challenges in human health and sustainability saw her named the chemical science laureate at the 2024 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists in the US, for which she received an unrestricted prize of $250,000 (£200,000). She is considering investing some of the money in pursuing a risky strand of research that would otherwise be very difficult to fund.