Dr Laura Bastianini is an environmental geochemist and carbonate sedimentologist based at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering. Her research focuses on mineral–fluid interactions in natural and engineered systems, with particular emphasis on mineral carbonation for carbon dioxide removal and the immobilisation of contaminants in degraded environments. She combines experimental geochemistry, field-based investigations, and advanced analytical techniques to understand how transient carbonate minerals form, evolve, and influence environmental processes.

Laura’s current work explores chemical and microbially induced carbonation in urban soils, aiming to develop scalable solutions that simultaneously sequester CO₂ and restore contaminated land. Her research sits at the interface of geochemistry and engineering, contributing to the development of sustainable technologies for climate mitigation, pollution control, and circular resource use.

She previously held a postdoctoral position at Heriot-Watt University’s Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, where she investigated ocean alkalinity enhancement and the kinetics and stability of carbonate minerals in marine systems. She has also worked closely with industry partners on the geochemical characterisation of materials for enhanced rock weathering applications.

Laura completed her PhD at the University of Hull, where she investigated mineral formation and contaminant behaviour in hyperalkaline environments associated with industrial waste. Her work has contributed to advancing understanding of transient carbonate phases and their role in both carbon cycling and environmental risk.

She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and has extensive teaching experience in geochemistry, sedimentology, and field geology. Laura is actively engaged in interdisciplinary and international collaborations and has been invited to deliver keynote lectures at major conferences in her field.

Her research aims to bridge fundamental geochemical processes with real-world engineering solutions, supporting the transition towards Net Zero and more sustainable management of land and environmental resources.

Dr Bastianini has been awarded competitive research and travel funding to support her work in environmental geochemistry and carbon dioxide removal. Her awards include the AFES Research Grant, which supported experimental work on geochemical processes in engineered systems, and multiple Erasmus+ scholarships enabling international research mobility and collaboration. She has also received travel funding from the Sir Philip Reckitt Trust and the Société Géologique de France, supporting participation in international conferences and field-based research activities.

These awards reflect her strong track record in securing external support for research development and knowledge exchange, as well as her active engagement with the international geoscience and environmental engineering communities.

Dr Bastianini is actively involved in the supervision and co-supervision of MSc and PhD researchers working across carbonate geochemistry, environmental mineralogy, and carbon dioxide removal. She contributes to the development of student research projects spanning laboratory experimentation, field sampling, and geochemical modelling, with a strong emphasis on linking fundamental processes to applied environmental challenges.

Her future supervisory activity will focus on expanding interdisciplinary research at the interface of geochemistry and engineering, particularly within mineral carbonation, enhanced weathering, and soil remediation systems. She is keen to support the development of early-career researchers working on transient carbonate minerals, trace metal partitioning, and reactive transport in contaminated environments.

Dr Bastianini is also developing and contributing to collaborative funding proposals in the areas of engineered carbon dioxide removal, urban soil restoration, and industrial contamination mitigation. These proposals aim to integrate experimental geochemistry, field validation, and scalable engineering approaches to address Net Zero challenges. Through this work, she aims to build a strong and internationally connected research group focused on environmentally responsible mineral-based solutions for climate and pollution problems.

Dr Bastianini has contributed to the supervision and co-supervision of a range of MSc and PhD researchers in environmental geochemistry, carbonate sedimentology, and carbon dioxide removal-related topics. Her supervisory experience includes supporting students through experimental design, laboratory training, fieldwork planning, and geochemical data interpretation, with a strong emphasis on developing independent research skills.

During her postdoctoral and doctoral career, she has co-supervised projects investigating carbonate mineral formation in hyperalkaline environments, reactive transport processes in contaminated systems, and the geochemical behaviour of transient carbonate phases. She has also supported MSc dissertations involving experimental mineral carbonation, sedimentological analysis, and petrographic characterisation of carbonate systems.

In addition to formal supervision, Dr Bastianini has played an active mentoring role for junior researchers and visiting students, providing guidance on analytical techniques such as ICP-MS, XRD, SEM-EDX, and microscopy-based petrography. She has also contributed to field course teaching and training, supporting students in sedimentological logging, sampling strategies, and environmental monitoring techniques.

Through these activities, she has developed a strong track record in research training and mentorship across a range of geoscience and environmental engineering topics.

Dr Bastianini has extensive teaching experience in geochemistry, sedimentology, and field geology, gained through undergraduate teaching support and laboratory and field-based instruction. During her PhD at the University of Hull, she delivered over 500 hours of teaching, including practical classes, tutorials, and field course support across core Earth and environmental science modules.

Her teaching experience includes sedimentology, geochemistry, structural geology, and environmental geoscience, with a strong emphasis on developing students’ practical and analytical skills. She has provided instruction in laboratory techniques such as petrography, microscopy, and geochemical analysis, as well as field-based training in geological mapping, sedimentological logging, and environmental sampling.

Dr Bastianini has also contributed to the design and delivery of field courses, supporting students in integrating observational skills with data interpretation in real-world geological settings. In addition, she has developed and delivered bespoke training in scientific drawing and field sketching to enhance students’ observational and communication skills in the field.

Through her teaching practice, she has developed a student-centred approach focused on linking theoretical understanding with practical application, and supporting students in developing confidence in both laboratory and field environments.

PUBLICATIONS (Selected) (Carbon mineralisation, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and engineered CO₂ removal systems)

High-Impact / Field-Defining Contributions

- Bastianini, L., Rogerson, M., Brasier, A., Prior, T. J., Hardman, K., Dempsey, E., Bird, A., & Mayes, W. M. (2024). Ikaite formation in streams affected by steel waste leachate: First report and potential impact on contaminant dynamics. Chemical Geology, 644, 121842.
→ First evidence of ikaite formation in industrially impacted waters, revealing coupled carbonate formation and contaminant dynamics relevant to engineered carbon storage and immobilisation.

- Lu, X., Millar, R., Thoutam, P., Yang, A., Foteinis, S., Bastianini, L., Renforth, P., Baltruschat, S., & Hartmann, J. (2025). Process modelling and analysis of ikaite production for atmospheric CO₂ removal through ocean alkalinity enhancement. Chemical Engineering Research and Design.
→ System-scale model linking carbonate kinetics to engineered CO₂ removal performance and deployment feasibility.

- Bastianini, L., Rogerson, M., Mercedes-Martín, R., Prior, T. J., & Mayes, W. M. (2022). What are the different styles of calcite precipitation within a hyperalkaline leachate? A sedimentological Anthropocene case study. The Depositional Record, 8(1), 355–381.
→ Mechanistic framework for anthropogenic carbonate formation under extreme geochemical conditions, underpinning engineered mineralisation strategies.

- Eisaman, M. D., Geilert, S., Renforth, P., Bastianini, L., Campbell, J., Dale, A. W., Foteinis, S., Grasse, P., Hawrot, O., Löscher, C. R., Rau, G. H., & Rønning, J. (2023). Assessing the technical aspects of ocean alkalinity enhancement approaches. State of the Planet, 2, Chapter 3.
→ International synthesis shaping engineering constraints, monitoring, and deployment frameworks for OAE technologies.

- Baltruschat, S., Hartmann, J., Suitner, N., Moras, C. A., Lim, C., Bastianini, L., & Renforth, P. (2026). Assessment of solid ikaite release into seawater–implications for ocean alkalinity enhancement. Applied Geochemistry, 106781.
→ Evaluates engineered solid carbonate deployment pathways for marine carbon removal.

Forthcoming High-Impact Articles

- Bastianini, L., Baltruschat, S., Hartmann, J., Campbell, J., Foteinis, S., Millar, R., Yang, A., Lu, X., Thoutam, P., & Renforth, P. (2026). Stability and kinetics of amorphous calcium carbonate and ikaite dissolution in seawater. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.

- Bastianini, L., Rogerson, M., Prior, T. J., & Mayes, W. M. (2026). Improving field alkalinity characterization of waters on anthropogenic alkaline sites for reliable monitoring and verification of carbon dioxide removal technologies. Environmental Science & Technology. Submitted.

- Kapadia, A., Bastianini, L., Campbell, J., Rosair, G., Buckman, J., & Renforth, P. (2026). Evaluating additive-free amorphous calcium carbonate as a novel ocean alkalinity enhancement candidate: Stability and dissolution kinetics at 2–10°C. Biogeosciences. 
Additional Peer-Reviewed Work

- Bastianini, L., Rogerson, M., Mercedes-Martín, R., Prior, T. J., Cesar, E. A., & Mayes, W. M. (2019). What causes carbonates to form “shrubby” morphologies? An Anthropocene limestone case study. Frontiers in Earth Science, 7, 236.

- Bastianini, L., Caline, B., Hoareau, G., Bonnel, C., Martinez, M., Lézin, C., Baudin, F., Brasier, A., & Guy, L. (2017). Sedimentary characterization of the carbonate source rock of the Upper Kimmeridgian Parnac Formation of the Aquitaine Basin (Quercy area). Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 188(5).

Technical & Doctoral Output

- Campbell, J. S., Bastianini, L., Buckman, J., Bullock, L., Foteinis, S., Furey, V., Hamilton, J., Harrington, K., Hawrot, O. K., Holdship, P., Knapp, W. J., Maesano, C. N., Mayes, W. M., Pogge von Strandmann, P. A. E., Reershemius, T., Rosair, G. M., Sturgeon, F., Turvey, C., Wilson, S., & Renforth, P. (2023). Measurements in Geochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal. Heriot-Watt University.

- Bastianini, L. (2021). Renewing approaches to understanding the minerals and waters at alkaline waste sites. PhD Thesis, University of Hull.