Karen Harper was a research technician working on the RIPE project at Lancaster University. For the RIPE project, she explored the natural diversity of Rubisco catalytic properties from a wide variety of plant species in order to help identify the most promising variants. She received her bachelor's degree in biology from Bangor University in Wales, UK, where she later earned her doctorate working on the physiology of harvested fruit and vegetables, focusing on utilizing their own biochemistry against fungal pathogens in order to maintain their freshness. She has moved on to work in the Insect Pathology and Ecology Group (IPEG).