Vincent O’Flaherty is an established Professor of Microbiology at University of Galway. He’s also the Head of O’Flaherty Lab, a research group specialised in Microbial Ecology, which is currently working on the production of fatty acids and biogas from refined grass for Rural BioReFarmeries. In this interview, Vincent discusses his professional journey so far and his current role as Work Package Leader at RBRF, and reflects on Ireland’s role in demonstrating the potential of biorefineries to drive agricultural innovation and sustainability.
Hi Vincent! You are a microbiologist by training. What drew you to pursue a career in science, and in this field in particular?
Like many people, what first drew me into science was having an inspirational teacher at school. Around that time, there was huge excitement in biotechnology; genetic engineering and recombinant organisms were emerging topics, and my teacher kept us up to date with popular science magazines, which really sparked my interest.
I went on to study Microbiology at university, where I was also inspired by great mentors, including Prof. Emer Colleran, who supervised my PhD. That’s when I discovered environmental microbiology and the potential for microbial resources to tackle big environmental challenges. My PhD focused on microbiological wastewater treatment, using microbes to clean up industrial effluents and protect water quality.
Microbiology can be applied to many different areas. What was it about the environmental aspect that interested you most?
That interest developed early in my university career. I was inspired by researchers who were doing fascinating work with big potential impacts.
The environmental challenges we face have only grown more urgent during my career and, for me, the motivation has always been about developing solutions and making a positive contribution to sustainability.
Did you ever consider moving into industry, or were you always research-driven?
A lot of my research has been in partnership with businesses, innovators and other non-academic stakeholders, so I’ve always collaborated closely with industry. About six years ago, I even co-founded a startup called GlasPort Bio, which focuses on reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. So while I remain in academia, I’ve always had a strong interest in seeing our ideas applied at scale. That’s one of the exciting aspects of Rural BioReFarmeries, you get to see research demonstrated in practice.
Tell us about your role in Rural BioReFarmeries. What is your Work Package about?
I’m leading Work Package 4, which involves a team of researchers from University of Galway and Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and Poznań University of Technology in Poland; together, we’re focusing on producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and biogas.
In simple terms, after proteins are extracted from biorefined grass and crops, you’re left with a nutrient-rich liquid fraction, known as Brown Juice. Our role is to ferment this juice into VFAs, then recover energy and nutrients from what remains.
For this WP specifically, there are two main goals: first, to generate additional valuable products — these VFAs are platform chemicals that can be used in food, feed, biodegradable plastics, or pharmaceuticals. And second, to close the loop by valorising the residual biomass, producing methane and recovering nutrients to return to the soil.
It’s all about maximising value and ensuring the green biorefinery system is as circular as possible.
Green biorefineries have been researched for decades, but it hasn’t achieved full adoption in Europe yet. Why is now the right time for a project like Rural BioReFarmeries?
The project does two key things. First, it integrates research that’s been happening around the world — on feedstock production, protein extraction, fermentation and more — into one coherent system. Second, it demonstrates this at a scale that’s relevant for real-world application.
In the lab, you can show a process works in one-litre fermenters. But to make a real impact, you need to prove it at technical or demonstration scale. In Rural BioReFarmeries, we’re working with 1,000-litre fermentations, and that’s the kind of scale that can pave the way for future adoption by farmers across Europe.
Ireland is often seen as a leader in this field. Why do you think that is?
It’s no accident: 85% of Ireland is covered in grass, and we’ve spent a lot of time studying it and investigating its different applications, beyond feeding cattle. But we’re also facing challenges with the traditional grass-based agriculture model, especially in relation to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, which has also been driving innovation in how we use land and develop circular bioeconomy models.
There’s a strong opportunity to diversify the products we generate from grass, whether it’s local protein sources that reduce imports or bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived plastics. At the same time, agriculture remains a cornerstone of Ireland’s economy. Finding ways to make it more sustainable while maximising value is a national priority.
You mentioned you’re working closely with other researchers in Ireland and Poland as part of your involvement in Rural BioReFarmeries. How does this collaboration complement your work?
Our Polish colleagues, led by Prof. Piotr Oleskowicz-Popiel, are focusing on medium-chain fatty acids, while we work on shorter-chain ones; we’re also testing different fermentation approaches and microbial communities. And then our colleagues in Trinity, led by Prof. Ramesh Babu, are bringing critical expertise and skill on the recovery and purification of the fatty acids we’re producing for onward uses.
Collaboration also creates new opportunities! For example, one of my PhD students, Luna Frank, will spend three months in Piotr’s lab in Poznań. These exchanges not only strengthen the scientific work happening within the context of the project, but also build lasting networks and skills.
By combining expertise and resources, we can broaden the scope of what’s possible and learn from each other.
Overall, why was it important for you to join this project?
For me, it was the opportunity to scale up our VFA research. We’d already shown promising results in smaller studies and published papers, but Rural BioReFarmeries is offering us the chance to take it to the next level. Integrating our work into a farm-based system is exactly the kind of translation we aim for in applied research. And, of course, working with such an impressive cohort of international partners was also a big attraction for me, personally.
If there’s one thing you hope the project achieves, what would it be?
I’d like to see the conversation shift from talking about agricultural biogas plants to talking about agricultural biorefineries with biogas as one component. Biogas is already valuable, but by embedding it in a wider circular system — recovering nutrients, producing proteins and generating other bio-based products — we can transform its role.
If Rural BioReFarmeries helps change that narrative, showing that biogas is part of a bigger biorefinery model that addresses emissions, biodiversity and water quality, that would be a major success.
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