Chris Greening is an award-winning researcher and educator using microbiology to address global challenges. At Monash University, he leads a large research unit and an institutional program focused on understanding, harnessing, and communicating microbiology to advance health and sustainability.

A first-generation university graduate, he earned a first-class degree in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford (2010) and completed his PhD in Microbiology at the University of Otago (2014). He has since published more than 160 papers, mostly in leading journals such as Nature, Cell, and Science, and has helped secure over $100 million in research and programmatic funding. His contributions have been recognised with numerous honours, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year (2023), Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (2025), and election as a Fellow of the American, European, and Australian Academies of Microbiology.

He is best known for discovering microbes and enzymes can convert air into energy, with implications for addressing global challenges in climate, health, and biodiversity. In addition to his groundbreaking fundamental research, he has extensively partnered with the agricultural, waste, and energy industries to use microbes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond his core research and teaching, Professor Greening has contributed to diverse, high-impact initiatives. These include developing diagnostic devices and training in-country teams for pathogen surveillance in low-income countries, overseeing remote field expeditions through the Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future program, and spearheading development of the first fuel cells powered by air together with industry collaborators.

Prof Greening currently combines institutional leadership through Monash University’s Global Change Program with international efforts to advance microbial literacy and conservation, including through the IUCN. A strong advocate for the underrecognised, he describes himself as an “ambassador for the microbes” and is equally committed to empowering future leaders from underprivileged backgrounds, with a sustained record of nurturing independent researchers and industry professionals.