Dr Natasha Murphy

Position Governing Body Fellow Junior Research Fellow
School Physical Sciences Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Email npm35@cam.ac.uk

Natasha is a postdoctoral researcher whose research revolves around circularity: the design of enzymes, reaction pathways, and processes that transform waste into valuable materials.

Natasha studied Biochemistry at the University of York, followed by a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge (Corpus Christi College). She was awarded a BBSRC Fellowship partnered with AstraZeneca to undertake her graduate studies focused on the structural and functional optimization and characterization of cyclized peptide inhibitors of a small GTPase. Subsequently, her postdoctoral research at the United States National Laboratory of the Rockies focused on enzymatic recycling technologies to recycle waste plastics, with an emphasis on process design and optimization.

In 2026, she joined Wolfson College as a Junior Research Fellow, continuing her research focused on circularity, based in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry (CEB). She is also an early-career member of the American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Biochemical Society.

There is an urgent need to develop new technologies that can address the environmental challenges of this century, such as climate change, resource depletion, and waste management. As a biochemist, Natasha uses molecular tools to address these challenges. Incorporating computational and directed evolution techniques, her work focuses on designing, engineering, and testing biocatalysts for real-world applications. Her current research interests include: 1) engineering biochemical reactions, for example, for the efficient recycling of polymers, with a particular emphasis on poly(ethylene) terephthalate; 2) engineering biocatalysts for the upcycling of captured CO₂ emissions into industrially relevant products, and 3) developing a new toolbox of methods for automating, downscaling, and miniaturising biochemical engineering.

Natasha previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Dr Gregg Beckham at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) to optimise the process conditions of enzymatic polyester recycling. More recently, funded through a partnership with Hitachi Cambridge labs (& Hitachi Europe Ltd.), her research focuses on developing biocatalytic cascades for transforming, and upcycling, captured CO₂ into high-value chemicals. The aim is to accelerate progress towards net-zero chemical manufacturing.

Overall, her research is at the intersection of biochemistry and chemical engineering and integrates fundamental molecular design of biocatalysts with process engineering to advance sustainable biotechnologies.

What's on

Event Type (field_event_type)

A close-up of a purple allium flower with a spherical cluster of tiny blossoms on a tall stem, set against a softly blurred garden background.

Wolfson Bulb Trail

11/04/2026 at 10.00

Our new bulb trail allows you to enjoy our thoughtfully planted displays and explore our beautiful College Gardens at your own pace.

A vibrant abstract collage filled with layered cut-paper shapes, symbols, and text fragments in bright reds, oranges, blues, and purples, radiating outward from a glowing central area.

Art Exhibition: 'Epic Journeys'

11/04/2026 at 10.00

Visit Wolfson's latest exhibition 'Epic Journeys' featuring work by distinguished artist Hassan Aliyu.

An older woman in a red striped shirt and glasses stretches her arms out while standing on a sandy beach with waves in the background.

Lessons from WHO Non-Communicable Disease Initiative about Chronic Disease

21/04/2026 at 17.30

What links osteoporosis and heart disease? Dr Gordon Klein reveals surprising connections between two of ageing's biggest health challenges, and what they mean for prevention.