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Project background: The leaching of nitrate into waterways from farmland causes problems for drinking water quality, fisheries and bathing waters and dramatically impacts the biodiversity of waterways. Agriculture is also a major source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Progress has been made in controlling these emissions, but to reduce them further, we need to fully understand the factors influencing nitrogen pollution along the gradient between land and sea, particularly within the context of changing land use and increasing extreme weather events.
Project aims:
The key to unlocking the flow of nitrate and N2O is to study the actions of the soil, sediment and water dwelling nitrogen cycling microbes that are responsible for the conversion of nitrate to N2O. In this PhD you will provide detailed insight of key sources of nitrate and N2O entering the Tamar catchment (local to Plymouth) and how nitrogen cycling microbes can influence their removal, turnover, or production. You will also determine the influence of changing land use, extreme weather and season on nitrogen cycling microbes to understand and predict the biological sensitivities of nitrogen pollution to anthropogenic and environmental pressures from farm to coast.
Training:
The supervisory team are committed to providing you with a comprehensive training experience, providing you with the skills required for a future in scientific research. Most of your time will be spent at Plymouth Marine Laboratory making use of PML’s research vessels, and state-of-the-art molecular biology and analytical chemistry laboratories. You will have access to facilities at Rothamsted's North Wyke Farm Platform. You will learn a range of readily transferable skills including rigorous experimental design, molecular biology (quantitative PCR, sequencing, bioinformatics), analytical chemistry, training in the biogeochemistry of riverine, estuarine and coastal systems and catchment hydrological processes. You will also be taught a wide range of professional skills (statistics, writing, communication).
Requirements:
We seek an enthusiastic, self-motivated candidate, with a strong attention to detail. This project requires a student willing to undertake both land and boat-based field work. You will have a BSc in biology, chemistry or a suitable branch of environmental sciences.