Claudia Harflett

Dr Claudia Harflett has a diverse work experience in the field of plant metabolomics and ecology. Dr Claudia started their career as an NMR Metabolomics Technician at Rothamsted Research in 2006, where they were responsible for plant sample handling and storage, solvent extraction, and fine weighing for NMR sample preparation. Dr Claudia also assisted with plant growth and harvesting.

Dr Claudia then worked as an Ecological Field Assistant at Rothamsted Research in 2007, where they conducted plant and pollinator identification, abundance scoring, and data recording for temporal surveys in agricultural crop fields. Dr Claudia also assessed the fertility of wild Glechoma hederacea.

In the same year, Dr Harflett worked as an HPLC Metabolomics Technician at Rothamsted Research, where they handled plant samples, made up solvents, conducted plant solvent extraction, and performed HPLC analysis. Dr Claudia ensured instrumental and analytical precision, conducted peak identification and calculation.

Dr Harflett joined the University of York in 2011 as a Research Assistant for the SERDP project ER-1498, where they investigated the influence of soil contamination on palatability in Arabidopsis thaliana using Schistocerca gregaria.

In 2012, they started working as a Research Assistant at Rothamsted Research, conducting metabolomic analysis of perennial biomass crops for biofuel. Dr Claudia set up and conducted large metabolomic experiments, designed timecourse series experiments, and managed plant tissue handling and preparation for NMR and MS analysis.

In the same year, they also worked as a Freelance Proofreader/Editor, providing proofreading and editing services for various disciplines including ecology, biochemistry, economics, and psychology.

Dr Harflett completed their DPhil at the University of Sussex in 2012, where they researched the effects of zinc accumulation on herbivory and competitive ability in metallicolous populations of Rumex acetosa, funded by BBSRC.

Currently, they hold the position of Metabolomics Tissue Scientific Specialist at Rothamsted Research, where they provide specialist skills in plant tissue generation for high-throughput metabolomic analysis. Dr Claudia designs and conducts complex plant growth experiments, develops growth protocols, manages the Rothamsted Metabolomics Facility Plant Tissue Archive, and maintains comprehensive metadata records associated with the tissues.

Dr Claudia Harflett attended Luton Sixth Form College from 2000 to 2002, where they pursued A levels in Maths, Chemistry, and Biology. Dr Claudia then went on to enroll at the University of Hull from 2002 to 2005, where they earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Ecology. Dr Harflett furthered their education at the University of Sussex from 2008 to 2012, where they completed their DPHIL in Ecology.