Adriana Botes

Professor Adriana Botes holds the title of Professor in Practice in the Department of Biosciences at Durham University. She is a director and co-founder of Videra Services Ltd, providing biotechnology consultancy services, and serves as CSO of VideraBio, focusing on producing high-value bioactive compounds. Additionally, she is R&D Director at Azotic Technologies, commercializing microbial inoculants that reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use. Her expertise spans organic chemistry, microbiology, and biochemistry, with over 25 years of experience addressing challenges through biocatalysts and microbial technologies. She has published 18 peer-reviewed papers and secured 47 US patents during her career.

Her research interests emphasize sustainable agricultural solutions, biotechnological production processes, and applications of microbial systems in crop biofortification and climate resilience. She has led multidisciplinary teams in RTOs, SMEs, and corporate settings to develop innovative bioprocesses for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and natural products.