Prof. Jim Haseloff and his lab engineered the first synthetic RNA enzymes with targeted substrate specificity, developed fluorescent proteins for plants, new misexpression systems in plants, new 3D microscopy and visualisation methods and computer models for plant morphogenesis. He has pioneered the application of Synthetic Biology approaches in plants, including new quantitative imaging techniques, genetic circuits for cell-cell communication, and adoption of lower plant systems for bioengineering.