About the Project
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is one of Earth’s most abundant organosulfur compounds with key roles in global nutrient and sulfur cycling, signalling and potentially climate regulation. Microbial DMSP degradation is the major bio-source of the climate-cooling gas dimethylsulfide (DMS). DMS degradation in anoxic sediments can yield methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, yet little is known of the microbes responsible or how they do so. This PhD aims to elucidate organosulfur-dependent methane generation pathways, their environmental controls in wetland sediments, and to determine their potential importance on global methane production.
This multidisciplinary PhD will sample freshwater and saline wetland sediment and characterise natural organosulfur cycling and related methane production. The student will be taught to use anaerobic microcosms and analytical techniques to quantify organosulfur compounds and climate-active volatiles. They will gain experience in isolating and characterising anaerobic microbes for their ability to catabolise DMSP and DMS and generate methane. The PhD will investigate how environmental conditions affect anaerobic organosulfur and methane cycling and the transcription of the key genes responsible. Finally, using molecular ecology tools and bioinformatics, the diversity, abundance, activity, and metabolism of microbes driving organosulfur cycling and related methane production in natural wetlands will be elucidated. There is scope for the PhD student to develop the project to their interests.
The student will be based in Murrell and Todd’s laboratories at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and will spend time in Eyice’s lab at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL); all labs are world-leading in methane and organosulfur cycling, and provide vibrant well-resourced environments to succeed. The student will present their data at national and international conferences and receive expert training in sediment biogeochemistry, molecular microbiology, microbial ecology and bioinformatics.
For more information on the supervisor for this project, please go here https://people.uea.ac.uk/j_c_murrell
This is a PhD programme.
The start date is 1st October 2021.
The mode of study is full time.
The studentship length is 4 years.
About NRP DTP:
The Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP) is open to UK and international candidates for entry October 2021 and offers postgraduates the opportunity to undertake a 4-year PhD research project whilst enhancing professional development and research skills through a comprehensive training programme. You will join a vibrant community of world-leading researchers. All NRPDTP students undertake a three-month professional internship placement (PIPS) during their study. The placement offers exciting and invaluable work experience designed to enhance professional development. Full support and advice will be provided by our Professional Internship team. Students with, or expecting to attain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply.
This project has been shortlisted for funding by the NRPDTP programme. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on Thursday 7th January, Friday 8th January and Monday 11th January 2021.
Visit our website for further information on eligibility and how to apply: https://biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/
Our partners value diverse and inclusive work environments that are positive and supportive. Students are selected for admission without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or social background.
Funding Notes
This project is awarded with a 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP) PhD studentship. The studentship includes payment of tuition fees (directly to the University), a stipend for each year of the studentship (2020/21 stipend rate: £15,285), and a Research Training Support Grant for each year of the studentship of £5,000 p.a..
Entry Requirements
At least UK equivalence Bachelors (Honours) 2:1 or UK equivalence Master's degree. English Language requirement (Faculty of Science equivalent: IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category).
References
Crombie, A. T. and Murrell, J.C. (2014) Trace gas metabolic versatility of the facultative methanotroph Methylocella silvestris. Nature, 510, 148-151
Carrion, O., Pratscher, J., Curson, A.R.J, Williams, B.T. Rostant, W.G., Murrell, J.C. and Todd, J (2017) Methanethiol-dependent dimethylsulfide production in soil environments. The ISME Journal, 11, 2379-2390
Williams, B.T., Cowles, K., Bermejo Martínez, A., Curson, A.R.J, Zheng, Y., Jingli Liu, J., Newton-Payne, S., Hind, A.J., Li, C-Y., Rivera, P.P.L., Carrión, O., Liu, J., Spurgin, L.G., Brearley, C.A., Mackenzie, B.W., Pinchbeck, B.J., Peng, M., Pratscher, J., Zhang, X-H., Zhang, Y-Z., Murrell, J.C., Todd, J.D. (2019) Bacteria are important dimethylsulfoniopropionate producers in coastal sediments. Nature Microbiology, 4,1815–1825
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