Basecamp Research

I documented the launch of a biodiscovery partnership between Basecamp Research and MUST, following environmental sampling, laboratory research and the Access and Benefit-Sharing framework supporting the collaboration.

From environment to laboratory
Microorganisms in soil and water contain genetic information that can help scientists study proteins and biological systems developed through evolution. Accessing that information also raises a central question: who benefits when research draws knowledge from a country’s biodiversity?
In July 2025, I documented the launch phase of a partnership between Basecamp Research and the Malawi University of Science and Technology. The work moved from soil and water sampling to laboratory training, DNA extraction and stakeholder discussion.
I photographed researchers handling samples, reviewing procedures and working with laboratory equipment. The images follow the patience and precision behind the early research process, when every container, measurement and recorded observation forms part of a longer scientific chain.


The photographs place Malawian scientists at the centre of the work as researchers and custodians of scientific knowledge. They also connect laboratory activity to the legal and ethical structure around it.

The story should respect lab safety, research confidentiality, and accurate representation of scientific processes.

The partnership brought together researchers from MUST, Basecamp Research and other African institutions. I focused on how knowledge moved between them: demonstrations, comparison, note-taking, repetition and collaborative problem-solving.

The photographs place Malawian scientists at the centre of the work as researchers and custodians of scientific knowledge. They also connect laboratory activity to the legal and ethical structure around it.

The Access and Benefit-Sharing agreement brings Basecamp Research together with MUST, the Malawi Environment Protection Authority and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. It covers joint research, training, equipment, technology transfer, data sharing and potential benefits from future commercial applications.

In June 2026, the Financial Times used one laboratory photograph as the lead image for its feature, Why AI can transform pharma — but nature cannot be hurried. The image connected scientists working at MUST to a wider international discussion about biological data, artificial intelligence and drug development.

View the Financial Times feature