SAMS projects Ampere and MycoMara AI reach finals of 2026 Converge Awards

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Prof. Adam Hughes is shortlisted in the KickStart Challenge, while UHI Masters student Thomas Bartram and MycoMara AI compete for the Blue Economy Award.

Thomas Bartram and Prof. Adam Hughes, both shortlisted for 2026 Converge Awards

Masters student Thomas Bartram, left, and Prof. Adam Hughes are both shortlisted for Converge awards

SAMS is represented by two finalists in the 2026 Converge Awards through the Ampere project led by Prof. Adam Hughes and MycoMara AI, founded by UHI Masters student Thomas Bartram. Ampere is developing autonomous, low-cost modular systems intended to help oysters and corals grow more rapidly and withstand climate stresses, while MycoMara AI aims to build an AI-enabled library of underexplored marine fungi for biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery. The awards take place at Barony Hall in Glasgow, with SAMS represented in both the KickStart Challenge and Blue Economy Award categories.

  • SAMS has two finalists in the 2026 Converge Awards through Prof. Adam Hughes’s Ampere project and Thomas Bartram’s MycoMara AI.
  • Ampere aims to use autonomous, low-cost modular systems to help oysters and corals grow more rapidly and survive climate stresses including warming and ocean acidification.
  • MycoMara AI is developing an AI-enabled library of underexplored marine fungi to identify novel bioactive molecules for biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery.
  • SAMS is represented in both the Converge KickStart Challenge and Blue Economy Award, with the awards taking place at Barony Hall in Glasgow.
  • Which SAMS projects are finalists in the 2026 Converge Awards?

    Prof. Adam Hughes’s Ampere project is nominated in the KickStart Challenge, while Thomas Bartram’s company MycoMara AI is nominated in the Blue Economy Award category.

  • What is the Ampere project aiming to achieve?

    Ampere aims to use autonomous, low-cost, modular systems to enhance calcification so oysters and corals can grow more rapidly and survive climate stresses including warming and ocean acidification.

  • What is MycoMara AI developing?

    MycoMara AI aims to create an AI-enabled library of underexplored marine fungi to identify novel bioactive molecules for biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery, with focus areas including antibiotics, oncology, inflammation and fibrosis.

(PRESS RELEASE) GLASGOW, Scotland, United Kingdom, 2-Oct-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — SAMS is represented by two finalists in this year’s Converge Awards, as the ocean research charity pursues innovative approaches to major challenges in marine science.

As a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), SAMS has finalists in both the Converge KickStart Challenge and the Blue Economy Award.

Prof. Adam Hughes leads the Ampere project, which has been nominated for the 2026 KickStart Challenge final.

Ampere aims to apply a techno-ecological solution that enables oysters and corals to grow more rapidly and survive climate stresses including warming and ocean acidification.

The global biodiversity crisis is driving the collapse of important marine ecosystems, particularly coral and oyster reefs. Efforts are under way to restore these calcifying habitats, but traditional methods are expensive, face a $14.6 billion funding gap and often struggle to keep pace with the rate of environmental change.

Ampere plans to use autonomous, low-cost, modular systems to enhance calcification in these keystone species. By helping corals and oysters grow more rapidly and survive climate stresses, the project hopes to unlock direct investment in habitat recovery through biodiversity credits and marine net gain.

SAMS UHI Masters student Thomas Bartram is also represented in the awards through his company MycoMara AI, which is nominated in the Blue Economy Award category.

MycoMara AI aims to create an AI-enabled library of underexplored marine fungi to identify novel bioactive molecules for biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery. Its work is focused on areas including antibiotics, oncology, inflammation and fibrosis, with the aim of addressing global health challenges such as antimicrobial resistance while promoting sustainable use of marine biodiversity.

The Converge Awards take place today, Thursday, at Barony Hall in Glasgow.

For the first time, 15 of the 18 participating universities have finalists represented, marking the widest pool of institutions in Converge’s 15-year history.

Media contact

Euan Paterson
Communications and Media Officer
Euan.Paterson@sams.ac.uk
01631 559342 (direct dial)
07827 963984 (mobile)
01631 559000 (switchboard)

SOURCE: SAMS

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