Matthew Reilly

Dr. Matthew Reilly is a Research Fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of York, holding the EPSRC Innovation Fellowship. His work focuses on industrial biotechnology, particularly leveraging microbial communities for biofuel and chemical production through anaerobic digestion and dark fermentation. He specializes in utilizing waste materials like cereal straws and wastewater to produce hydrogen, methane, bioplastics, and acetic acid, with a strong emphasis on anaerobic gut fungi (Neocallimastigomycota) and their industrial potential. Reilly leads a lab developing automated systems for culturing these fungi and designing pilot-scale bioreactors.

Key research areas include lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment, volatile fatty acid production, and overcoming technical barriers in anaerobic digestion methodologies. His contributions include groundbreaking studies on wheat straw biohydrogen production and the discovery of experimental biases in anaerobic digestion testing protocols. Reilly also advocates for 'Evolutionary Theft' in teaching, encouraging students to harness naturally evolved biological processes for sustainable biotechnology solutions.

Recent projects involve collaborations with Yorkshire Water on microbial community dynamics in wastewater treatment and BBSRC-funded research on anaerobic fungi culturing. Awards include the EPSRC Innovation Fellowship, recognizing his impact in advancing industrial biotechnology through interdisciplinary innovation.

Reilly’s lab focuses on bridging fundamental research with industrial applications, emphasizing hands-on experimentation. He has pioneered automated systems for anaerobic microorganism monitoring and holds expertise in bioreactor design, electrocoagulation for waste valorization, and techno-economic analysis of biofuel systems.