Arjun Walia – Dr. Chris Exley is a Professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry at Keele University and an Honorary Professor at the UHI Millennium Institute. He is a biologist with a PhD in the ecotoxicology of aluminum, and his research from 1984 until present has focused on an intriguing paradox: “How come the third most abundant element of the Earth’s crust (aluminum) is non-essential and largely inimical to life?”

He goes on to explain how investigating this mystery has “required research in myriad fields from the basic inorganic chemistry of the reaction of aluminium and silicon to the potentially complex biological availability of aluminium in humans.”

He also explains in his bio how he is “fascinated by the element silicon in relation to living things which, as the second most abundant element of the Earth’s crust, is also almost devoid of biological function. One possible function of silicon is to keep aluminium out of biology (biota) and this forms a large part of the research in our group. We are also interested in biological silicification.” (source) Continue reading →