Supervisory Team:
Dr Holly Tipper – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Michelle Jackson – University of Oxford
Dr Susheel Bhanu Busi – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Prof. Jason Weeks – JNCC
This exciting and collaborative PhD project combines contemporary molecular techniques with a field-based approach to investigate the effects of multiple chemical stressors and climate on natural microbial community composition, functionality and ecosystem service delivery in wetland systems. The project will be hosted at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Wallingford, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, our CASE partner Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), and project partner UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR).
Microorganisms play an essential role in wetland biogeochemical processes. Pollution by chemical mixtures poses a significant threat to these communities and their function, potentially disrupting ecosystem services and putting environmental health at risk. Further, climate change is causing highly variable and more extreme climatic conditions, affecting both managed and natural wetland systems. This will likely modify key biogeochemical processes (e.g., nutrient cycling and biodegradation) and microbial community composition, which may affect how such wetlands deliver ecosystem benefits (e.g., water treatment). Wastewater treatment wetlands are widely implemented as ‘nature-based solutions’ offering a low-energy/low-cost reduction in contaminant loads during treatment or the impact from combined sewer overflows on waterbodies. However, research on the combined effects of chemical and climatic stressors (e.g., temperature) on wetland microbial communities and functions remains limited. This project explores how these multiple stressors influence wetland microbial communities and their critical effects on pollutant degradation and water quality through laboratory and field experiments. The project findings will aid in informing water industry practices and in designing sustainable, low-cost nature-based water treatment systems. This project tackles multiple real-world stressors, investigating the combination of chemical pollution and climatic impacts on ecosystems and ecosystem services, water quality and public health, and sustainable environmental management.
During the project, the student will gain expertise in the design and analysis of multi-stressor laboratory and mesocosm experiments, including key skills in microbiology, molecular biology (including metagenomic sequencing and qPCR techniques), experimental design, data analysis and visualisation, scientific writing, and presenting. The cross-disciplinary supervisory team spans academia, policy, and the water industry to elevate this research into a valuable contribution to environmental and public health, whilst also supporting the student’s research and career aspirations. UKCEH Wallingford will host the PhD, providing access to cutting-edge molecular and microbiological resources. The student will also be affiliated with, and be able to use the facilities of, the University of Oxford (the institute that will ultimately award their PhD degree). The student will receive valuable experience by working closely with the project CASE partner, JNCC which will provide policy-facing experience through working with environmental pollution policy teams and presenting work to a wide range of stakeholders, with the opportunity to undertake a placement of at least three months with financial T&S support. Our project partners, UKWIR, will also offer invaluable industry insight and technical guidance in management and engineering of treatment wetlands. The student will also have the chance to participate in a range of opportunities at the host and partner organisations and through the ECOWILD CDT.
Essential Skills: Field-based skills, Laboratory skills, Data analysis.
It is noted that you don’t need significant experience in all three of these skills. However, these are the areas where you must believe you have demonstrated some potential and that you wish to further develop as they are a core part of the project.
