Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a family of human made chemicals used by industry as part of stain- and water-resistant fabrics, cleaning products, paints, fire-fighting foams and in cookware. They are pollutants of increasing concern as they are now commonly found in waterbodies largely due to industrial waste emissions. PFAS are also highly persistent in the environment and accumulate in fish, birds, plants and animals. Although PFAS has been linked to formation of cancer and organ damage and have negative impacts on child development, little is known about its impact on plants. This proposal aims to determine what PFAS does to the development of plants using mung beans (Vigna radiata) as a model organism. As starting point, seeds will be germinated and grown to flower/pod formation under different PFAS concentrations and environmental conditions. Immune health of seedlings and fully grown plants will also be determined using a variety of bacterial and fungal agonists. There will also be opportunities for fieldwork, to survey plants for possible markers of PFAS-induced damage. These will be located around several polluted freshwater and estuarine environments in Scotland.
One possible funding route for this project is via the Carnegie Trust PhD Scholarships, although I would be happy to help prospective candidates explore other routes if necessary. For more info about the Carnegie Trust scheme please see https://www.carnegie-trust.org/award-schemes/carnegie-phd-scholarships/ [This year, in addition to their normal studentships, Carnegie have an earmarked a studentship for the Carnegie-Cant-Morgan PhD Scholarship in Botany/Plant Science.]
As this is a highly competitive scheme, only those with a 1st class undergraduate degree from a Scottish University are considered. The student should hold a degree in Biology or Molecular/Cell Biology.
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