Dr Michael Dent is a Senior Technology Analyst at IDTechEx. Having joined in 2019, he supports the company's research and consulting within the life sciences. Before joining IDTechEx, Michael was an Innovation Consultant at Innovia Technology in Cambridge, where he conducted research-led consultancy projects across a range of sectors including pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, energy and food.
Michael received his PhD in Chemical Biology from Imperial College London, working at the interface between chemistry, biology and physics. His research involved using advanced microscopy to study the behaviour of environmentally responsive fluorescent molecules within the plasma membranes of cultured cells. Prior to his PhD, Michael completed an MChem in chemistry from Warwick University, undertaking a research project on medical imaging and novel cancer therapeutics.
At IDTechEx, Michael performs research around markets and enabling technologies within the life sciences. This includes authorship of market research and technology scouting reports focusing on several technology and application areas including agricultural technology and next-generation food technology.
In his previous role, Michael carried out research across several industries, including pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, energy and food. Examples of his work include:
- Identifying new business opportunities for a novel pharmaceutical designed to target the human microbiome
- Engineering proteins so that they remain stable during high-temperature processing and long-term storage
- Understanding the fundamental biology of taste in order to improve the perception of artificial sweeteners within low-calorie beverages
As a PhD student, Michael carried out multidisciplinary research into the structuring of the plasma membranes of live cells. This research involved working across synthetic chemistry, cell biology and advanced microscopy and led to 4 publications in leading academic journals.