Professor Templer holds the Hofmann Chair in Chemistry. His research is currently focussed on two related areas: examining the effects of elastic stresses in lipid membranes on the behaviour of membrane associated proteins and measuring and modelling the energetics and dynamics of transitions between the liquid crystals that form when lipids are mixed with water.

Over the past decade Professor Templer and a group of like-minded colleagues founded the Chemical Biology Centre (http://www.chemicalbiology.ac.uk/) to bring together physical and life scientists interested in applying quantitative measurement and interpretation to biomolecular phenomena. He helped to found the postgraduate research courses in biomolecular science and chemical biology and is the Director of the Doctoral Training Centre in Chemical Biology (http://www.chemicalbiology.ac.uk/studentships.html ).

In September 2007 Professor Templer became the Director of the Porter Institute for Sustainable Bioenergy Research (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/porterinstitute/). This is a new organisation within the College whose purpose is to develop the science and technology behind the conversion of plant biomass and plant waste into chemicals, liquid fuels, materials and energy. The Institute is a partner in two important alliances that bring strengths in new crop development and plant biology. The Porter Alliance for sustainable bioenergy research, which he also directs, brings in Rothamsted Research, the John Innes Centre and IBERS (the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences) at Aberystwyth University as well as individual researchers at the Universities of Southampton, Cambridge and York (http://www.porteralliance.org.uk/).