Rachel Chapman

Rachel Chapman is an artist and has initiated projects working with Jane Nicklin to explore the nature and behaviour of fungi to develop 'microbial maps' of different geographical regions through the collection and cultivation of airborne spores.

She has carried out major projects in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and an on-going research project to 'map' Chile by collecting spores at latitudes extending from the extremes of climate of the Atacama Desert to the sub-Antarctic stretches of Patagonia. She is currently working in the Middle East exploring new possibilities across the Arabian Peninsula.

Rachel is currently developing new education initiatives with Sharjah Art Foundation in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to this she was Assistant Professor in Fine Art at the University of Sharjah. She has taught at universities across the UK and has been science and art consultant to Arts Council England.

Dr Jane Nicklin

Jane Nicklin is an environmental mycologist at Birkbeck, University of London and has been working on collaborative projects with Rachel Chapman for a number of years.

Her research centres on the study of the chemical activities of fungi in the environment and the relationships between fungi and other organisms in order to provide biological control of pests, weeds and diseases. Together with her research group, Jane works in collaboration with scientists from Brazil, India and China as well as with groups at Rothamsted and the Jodrell Laboratories, Kew.

Jane is the consultant microbiologist for the UK Channel 4 television series How Clean is Your House? and consultant to English Heritage and the National Trust on the conservation of historic houses. She is a member of the British Mycological Society.