Even when she was a teenager growing up in Canada, Alexandra Tavasoli knew she wanted to promote sustainability and mitigate climate change. But how? At first she considered becoming a journalist or a politician. “However, I soon realized that scientific solutions interested me the most.” That’s why she began by studying chemical engineering and then worked at a research institute before deciding to study for a doctorate. The subject of her dissertation was the conversion of carbon dioxide and organic waste into new chemicals.

This kind of transformation requires energy— which frequently comes from fossil sources. Tavasoli, by contrast, relies on solar energy. Together with her team, she has developed a special photocatalyst. “This technology transforms CO₂ and methane gas, which is generated by the fermentation of organic waste, into versatile syngas,” she explains. Syngas can be processed to form methanol, for example. It’s also used as a basis for the production of hydrogen. In 2018 Tavasoli founded her own company, Solistra. Since then she has worked as the company’s CEO to make this technology fit for the market.