Alternative meat “grown” from bio-waste and clothes made from compost are but some of Dr Ava’s breakthroughs. A climate scientist, Dr Ava is deeply passionate about animals, the environment, and bettering the lives of people through science. 

The problems that Dr Ava contends with are vast. Global warming, deforestation, and the illegal animal trade, among other things, have destroyed 90 per cent of the world’s flora, and all animals – apart from pets and livestock – are critically endangered around the world. Global food shortages have put humans at risk of malnutrition.

In tropical Singapore, the heat has become unbearable. Daily temperatures soar past 40°C; hardly anyone goes outdoors now due to the risk of heat stroke.

Decades of dependence on fossil fuels have caused air quality to deteriorate, increasing the amounts of ground-ozone to hazardous levels. Ozone poisoning has become one of the top causes of death, and has caused some babies to be born with defects.

Climate scientists are racing to find solutions. 

One of Dr Ava’s latest inventions is a machine that absorbs ozone from the air. She is now testing it. Between experiments, Dr Ava works with local farmers in their indoor farms, helping to calibrate the climate settings to boost yields.