Professor Luisa Orsini

Contact Details

School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Luisa's mission is to improve environmental health by pushing the boundaries of research and innovation. She applies high throughput sequencing technologies and AI to understand the impact of environmental change on freshwater ecosystems. Luisa works with ghost DNA and resurrected crustaceans to identify the causes of biodiversity loss and the mechanisms of evolution that allow species to persist.

Luisa is passionate about multidisciplinary science and thinking out of the box. This thinking has led her to patent and commercialize a water reclamation and waste valorization technology that meets the net-zero carbon emission goals and delivers clean water to all. By translating cutting-edge multidisciplinary science into practical applications, Luisa provides tools and processes for mitigation interventions that enable green growth and meet UN developmental goals.

Research Themes

My research develops around two complementary themes: Biodiversity & Environmental Pollution and Mechanisms of Adaptation & Environmental Change. The former discovers correlations between environmental pollution drivers and changes in biodiversity affecting ecosystem services, whereas the latter investigates the mechanisms underpinning loss of biodiversity driven by environmental change. I list below the research projects that feed into these two complementary research themes.

Cracking the Code of Adaptive Evolution using biological archives
Forecasting adaptive responses to future global change
Understanding the ecological relevance of eDNA in freshwater lotic ecosystems
Mechanisms and processes underpinning long term evolution
The biology of dormancy
Metabolic changes and abiotic stress
Microbiome-mediated responses to environmental stress
Biodiversity and ecosystem services in a changing world
Sustainable technologies for water reclamation and waste valorisation

Luisa's website

ResearchGate profile: www.researchgate.net/profile/Luisa-Orsini

The Alan Turning Institute: Luisa Orsini | The Alan Turing Institute

Scientific Inspiration

Rita Levi Montalcini. She was a brilliant scientist and strongly engaged in every-day life to help people in need.

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: My style depends on the student’s need and experience. I am more guiding and pacesetting when the student has little experience. I teach the student to become independent and critical of his/her work. My aim is to see a student growing into a scientist by the time he/she defends the thesis. I am organized and goal-oriented.

Provision of training

I take responsibility for your training at first, leading to more independence later. I lead a mid-size research group with diverse expertise. People in my group will support your training and learning. You are encouraged to identify training outside of the group/University to best meet your needs.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I am very involved in my PhD students’ work and progression. We set weekly meetings to discuss progress, issues and mitigation strategies when needed. In addition, my door is always open if you need support beyond the weekly meetings. My team is also very supportive and helpful if I happen not to be around. I will support you and help you achieve your full potential.

Communication

I am reachable via email and WhatsApp. My research group has a slack channel for wider support and communication. Even if I work long hours and weekends, I do not expect my students to have the same patterns. However, if an extra push is required by the nature of the work for short time periods, I expect you to take ownership of your experiments going the extra mile.

In a group meeting

At least once per week

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once per week

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once per week

In year 3 of PhD study

At least once per week

These meetings will be face to face and I am usually contactable for an instant response (if required) on every working day.

Work Pattern

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings), I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for feedback

I need at least 1, preferably 2 week’s notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Current Projects (2025-26)

Primary supervisor for:

Nature-based solutions: harnessing Daphnia for pathogen and chemical pollutant removal from surface and wastewater

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Nature-based solutions: harnessing Daphnia for pathogen and chemical pollutant removal from surface and wastewater

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Jan Ulric-Kreft

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes: Renewable Resources and Clean Growth (Industrial Biotechnology)

Project Outline

As the world faces increasing pressures from urbanization, population growth, and climate change, the need for sustainable water management solutions is greater than ever. Pathogen contamination and persistent chemical pollutants in waste and surface water pose significant health and environmental risks. Current wastewater treatment methods are costly, energy-intensive, and often fail to remove harmful pathogens and pollutants from treated wastewater.

Building on the successes of Daphne Water Solutions Ltd. and the University of Birmingham, which pioneered the use of Daphnia (water fleas) for removing persistent chemical pollutants from wastewater, this project seeks to expand the applications of Daphnia-based technology to also tackle pathogen removal. This research aims to develop a nature-based, low-energy, and scalable solution for comprehensive wastewater treatment, integrating chemical and pathogen removal to meet the growing demands for safe and sustainable water reuse. The biological agent Daphnia has been shown to efficiently remove up to 90% of persistent chemicals like pharmaceuticals (e.g., diclofenac) and persistent industrial chemicals (PFOS). The innovative use of Daphnia as a biofilter taps into its natural ability to absorb and bioaccumulate/degrade harmful substances in aquatic ecosystems. Chemical pollutants often have complex interactions with biological agents, making their removal particularly challenging. This PhD project builds on that success by extending the scope of the Daphnia-based technology to address biological contaminants, making it a comprehensive and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment. Preliminary work by the primary supervisor’s group has shown potential for antimicrobial resistant bacteria removal by Daphnia. Building on this proof of concept and expanding previous application of the technology to pathogen removal, the project proposes a dual-action system that can address both biological and chemical threats in wastewater, offering an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional methods.

Objectives

The project has three main objectives co-developed with the non-academic partner for relevance in real-world applications:

1. Quantifying the efficacy of Daphnia for pathogen removal. This objective will involve laboratory experiments to determine how effective Daphnia is at removing or inactivating pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and viruses, from wastewater.

2. Investigating mechanisms of combined pollutant and pathogen removal. While Daphnia has shown great success in chemical removal, this project will also explore how the organism's biological pathways respond to both chemical pollutants and pathogens simultaneously.

3. Developing a scalable pilot system for real-world application in collaboration with the non-academic partner. To validate this approach in real-world conditions, a pilot system will be designed and installed at a site managed by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). This system will build on the prototype developed by Daphne Water Solutions, incorporating modifications to allow for simultaneous pathogen and pollutant removal. Special emphasis will be placed on adapting the Daphnia-based technology to decentralised communities in the UK.