Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Group
Developing precision horticulture solutions for food and medicinal crops
Led by
Dr Hail Rihan
, the Controlled Environment Agriculture team includes researchers and technical staff from both the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Health, working together on transdisciplinary projects advancing the use of dynamic lighting technology to grow food and medical crops.
Projects focus on the development of sensors, LED lighting, control systems and precision horticulture techniques to optimise energy efficiency of indoor growing improve the yield and quality of target pharmaceutical compounds.
Our work is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC – PACE), Good Growth, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Shared Prosperity Fund, and the Seale-Hayne Educational Trust, and our team collaborates with research institutions across the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as with key industry partners in the UK.
Please contact research group coordinator
Dr Hail Rihan
with any queries, or visit our theme pages for specific projects and associated staff for further details.
Our research themes
Our research team strives to optimise every aspect of plant growth, yield, quality and chemical composition. By harnessing cutting-edge CEA systems, we pioneer innovative methodologies to tailor light spectra to the specific requirements of different plant species. Through rigorous experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration, we are unlocking the full potential of CEA technology, offering promising avenues for revolutionising the production of crucial medicinal compounds and addressing the evolving needs of the agriculture and pharmaceutical industries.
Dr Hail Rihan
Lecturer in Agricultural Technology
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
European Regional Development Fund
Seale-Hayne Educational Trust
UK Shared Prosperity Fund (Cornwall)
Phytome Research Limited
Our group members
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![Dr Hail Rihan Lecturer in Agricultural Technology]( "Dr Hail Rihan")
Dr Hail Rihan
Lecturer in Agricultural Technology
Research group coordinator
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![Dr Lynn McCallum Associate Professor of Haematology (Education)]( "Dr Lynn McCallum")
Dr Lynn McCallum
Associate Professor of Haematology (Education)
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![Dr Simon Fox Associate Professor in Molecular Pathology (Education)]( "Dr Simon Fox")
Dr Simon Fox
Associate Professor in Molecular Pathology (Education)
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![Dr Andrew Foey Associate Professor of Immunology]( "Dr Andrew Foey")
Dr Andrew Foey
Associate Professor of Immunology
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![Dr David Jenkins Associate Professor of Nanomaterials and Devices]( "Dr David Jenkins")
Dr David Jenkins
Associate Professor of Nanomaterials and Devices
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![Dr Sophie Fauset Associate Professor in Terrestrial Ecology]( "Dr Sophie Fauset")
Dr Sophie Fauset
Associate Professor in Terrestrial Ecology
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![Dr Philip Warburton Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology]( "Dr Philip Warburton")
Dr Philip Warburton
Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology
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![Dr Raul Bescos Garcia Associate Professor of Human Nutrition and Physiology]( "Dr Raul Bescos Garcia")
Dr Raul Bescos Garcia
Associate Professor of Human Nutrition and Physiology
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![Dr Anthony Uren Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences (Blood Science)]( "Dr Anthony Uren")
Dr Anthony Uren
Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences (Blood Science)
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![Dr Lauren Ansell Lecturer in Data Science]( "Dr Lauren Ansell")
Dr Lauren Ansell
Lecturer in Data Science
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![Dr Kirsty Matthews Nicholass Lecturer in Biology]( "Dr Kirsty Matthews Nicholass")
Dr Kirsty Matthews Nicholass
Lecturer in Biology
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![Dr Naofel Aljafer Senior Research Fellow]( "Dr Naofel Aljafer")
Dr Naofel Aljafer
Senior Research Fellow
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![Mr Toby Anderson Von Trampe Research Associate (SMART, Ag)]( "Mr Toby Anderson Von Trampe")
Mr Toby Anderson Von Trampe
Research Associate (SMART, Ag)
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![Dr Michele Kiernan Senior Technician (Biomedical Research Laboratories)]( "Dr Michele Kiernan")
Dr Michele Kiernan
Senior Technician (Biomedical Research Laboratories)
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![Mr Jake Shaw-Sutton Lecturer in Applied Robotics]( "Mr Jake Shaw-Sutton")
Mr Jake Shaw-Sutton
Lecturer in Applied Robotics
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![Ms Yve Metcalfe-Tyrrell SEI Project Manager]( "Ms Yve Metcalfe-Tyrrell")
Ms Yve Metcalfe-Tyrrell
SEI Project Manager
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![Miss Nicki Egginton Project and KE Officer]( "Miss Nicki Egginton")
Miss Nicki Egginton
Project and KE Officer
Sustainable Food Production Research Group
At the University of Plymouth, our cross-disciplinary researchers study all aspects of food production and its impact on the natural environment.
Find out more about our plant and animal productive systems research, and how we are applying automation and sensor technology to ensure sustainable food production without compromising ecosystem services and biodiversity.