In this free talk, Lindsay Turnbull, professor of plant ecology at the University of Oxford, will explain why plants are the greatest traders on planet Earth. They stole photosynthesis - arguably the greatest invention of all time - and then took control of the international sugar market. Using this monopoly, they drove hard bargains with animals, fungi, and event bacteria, forming essential partnerships that support all life on Earth today. 

Lindsey is associate professor at the Department of Biology, Oxford University, and tutorial fellow at Queen's College Oxford. She is a plant ecologist who has engaged with a broad range of topics with particular focus on how and why plant species are so different from each, raising questions such as why did these difference evolve and what are the consequences for ecosystems? 

She is author of Biology: The Whole Story which guides you through key concepts building a big picture of what biology is all about.