Professor Kutcherov’s research has focused on the physics, chemistry, and geological mechanisms of hydrocarbon genesis under conditions characteristic of the Earth’s upper mantle, with particular emphasis on the experimental investigation of abiotic hydrocarbon formation. By combining high-pressure experimental physics, thermodynamic modelling, and geochemical analysis, his research has demonstrated that methane can transform into more complex hydrocarbons, including higher alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic compounds, at pressures and temperatures representative of deep-Earth environments. His 2009 study published in Nature Geoscience, demonstrating the formation of methane-derived hydrocarbons under upper-mantle conditions, provided important experimental evidence for deep abiotic hydrocarbon synthesis and stimulated renewed international interest in the geological mechanisms of petroleum formation. His selected works on deep hydrocarbon synthesis, thermodynamic stability, and hydrocarbon chemistry under extreme pressure and temperature conditions reflect a sustained research programme at the intersection of high-pressure physics, geochemistry, and energy science, with implications for understanding Earth’s deep carbon cycle and informing the exploration of hydrocarbon resources.