Peatlands are organic matter rich soils that provide countless benefits and ecological services. They represent the largest terrestrial carbon store, containing twice as much carbon as the entire forest biomass on this planet.
Unfortunately, most of the global peatlands are not fully functioning. As a result of human activities, such as drainage, around 80% of UK’s peatlands alone are classified as damaged. Global efforts to restore damaged peatlands are currently underway, however, in order to ensure sustainable restoration we require solid baseline characteristics of the key players in peat carbon cycling (the molecules and the microbes) from near-natural and drained peatlands.
The Bell group, in collaboration with researchers across UK, are examining changes to peatlands on the molecular-level, using the unique facilities offered by the School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh (which house a 800 MHz NMR spectrometer and a 12T FT-ICR mass spectrometer) and on the microbial-level using the world-class high-throughput sequencing facility, Edinburgh Genomics.
The overall aim of Bell’s group research is to uncover causative relationships that govern peatland formation/degradation and to use this knowledge to monitor the effectiveness of restoration interventions. The project will involve peat/vegetation sampling followed by metagenomics and metabolomics using a variety of techniques and statistics. This exciting multidisciplinary project offers the possibility to uncover the true drivers of peatland health.
The project will provide a high-quality training opportunity (http://www.chem.ed.ac.uk/studying/phd/graduate-school-overview) for a successful candidate at a world class University as well as offer excellent employment prospects.
Eligibility
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in chemistry, biochemistry, ecology or microbiology or related (> 2.1 or equivalent) and fulfil the eligibility criteria: https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/UKRI-291020-guidance-to-training-grant-terms-and-conditions.pdf. Working knowledge of statistics (e.g. PCA) and open-source programming languages (e.g. Python) is required. Experience with biochemical procedures (e.g. DNA extraction) or spectroscopic techniques (NMR and/or MS) is desirable.
The ideal candidate will enjoy the outdoors/field work. A driving licence will be required to travel to field sites.
Application Process:
To apply for an EASTBIO PhD studentship, follow the instructions below:
1) Informal enquiries should be addressed to Dr Nicholle Bell in the first instance. To apply, please send a cover letter outlining your previous research experience and reasons for applying, alongside an up-to-date CV to [Email Address Removed]
2) After you have discussed the projects of interest to you with Dr Bell, download and complete the EASTBIO Equality, Diversity and Inclusion survey and then fill in the EASTBIO Application Form and submit this form to Dr Nicholle Bell.
3) Send the EASTBIO Reference Form to your two academic/professional referees. Please ask your referees to submit your references directly to Dr Nicholle Bell [Email Address Removed].
4) If you are nominated by the supervisor(s) of the EASTBIO PhD project you wish to apply for, they will provide a Supervisor Support Statement.
We anticipate that our first set of interviews will be held 7th – 11th February 2022 with awards made in the following week.
If you have further queries about the application/recruitment process please contact EASTBIO
The successful applicant will be advised how to apply for admission to the PhD programme via EUCLID in due course.
The School of Chemistry holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. The University is a member of the Race Equality Charter and is a Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champion, actively promoting LGBT equality. The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment. See our University Initiatives website for further information. University Initiatives website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/help-advice/family-friendly