College of Health Medicine and Life Sciences
Fully funded studentship in Plastivore Plasticity: characterising metabolic flexibility in an emerging biotechnological system to manage plastic waste
College / Directorate
College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences
Department
Department of Life Sciences
College of Health Medicine and Life Sciences
Fully funded studentship in Plastivore Plasticity: characterising metabolic flexibility in an emerging biotechnological system to manage plastic waste
Project Description
Applications are invited from high-calibre and passionate students seeking to pursue an exciting career in analytical and environmental science research, with a focus to tackle a growing concern with respect to managing plastic waste.
Pollution is now considered an environmental emergency alongside biodiversity loss and climate change. There are many forms of pollution but it predominantly concerns the issue of chemical and plastic waste. In particular, plastic waste represents a very complex societal challenge; the benefits provided by plastics are indisputable but we have seen concerning impacts in the environment from the micro- to macro-scale.
An emerging and ground-breaking biotechnological system involves the use of insect larvae to biodegrade plastics and has been observed for several species (Coleoptera and Lepidoptera), but focus has been given to, Galleria mellonella (Greater Wax Moth) which recently was demonstrated to degrade plastics like polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) converting them to proteins, lipids and frass. This biodegradation pathway could enable the re-use of by-products (e.g. breakdown of polymers into respective monomers) and provide a future solution to the plastic waste emergency. However, whilst biodegradation has been observed, the use of plastic as a food source has limited understanding regarding the toxicological effects in these plastivore insects and the metabolic plasticity associated with a plastic-rich diet. How does metabolic flexibility via plasticity and redundancy enable these insects to use plastics as a sole carbon source? The potential toxicity could influence the survival of these organisms to be used at scale and must be characterised if these insects are to become a viable solution to the plastic waste crisis.
Based in and funded by the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, this studentship offers a full-time annual London rate stipend estimated at £21,237 (including London weighting) and Home tuition fees, for a maximum of 36 months.
The Department of Life Sciences holds a Silver Athena SWAN Award and is committed to equality of opportunity and advancing women’s careers.
The start date will be 1 October 2024.
Overview
This project will offer a challenging, collaborative and transdisciplinary opportunity for an excellent PhD candidate to work at the forefront of this exciting area with leading academic teams at Brunel University London. All team members have extensive track records in this area and will provide complementary and collaborative training in analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and advanced chemometrics.
Based primarily within the Environmental Science Division at Brunel University London, the successful candidate will have access to newly opened £2 million research labs hosting multiple analytical platforms including LC-MS, GC-MS and 2D LC systems. The student will benefit from training and development in the use of data analytics and visualisation to enable understanding of disruption to biochemical pathways and mechanisms of toxicity.
The successful candidate will be supervised by an expert interdisciplinary team of academic researchers who will provide full training for the research.
Supervisory team
- Dr Thomas Miller, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Toxicology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London (London, UK).
- Dr Ronan McCarthy, Reader in Biosciences, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London (London, UK).
- Dr Eleni Iacovidou, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London (London, UK).
For informal discussions, please contact Dr Thomas Miller ([email protected] )
Eligibility
Candidates should have an undergraduate degree (first or upper second class) or equivalent qualification in analytical science, biochemistry, environmental science, pharmaceutical science or toxicology. A Masters qualification in a relevant area would be desirable. Knowledge of analytical chemistry and coding is desirable, ideally with research experience. Applicants who have not been awarded a degree by a University in the UK will be expected to demonstrate English language skills to IELTS 7.0 (minimum 6.5 in any section). Both UK and EU applications are welcome and eligible for the funding.
How to Apply
If you wish to apply, please e-mail the following to [email protected] by 10th June 2024.
- An up-to-date CV.
- A single-page A4 single-spaced personal statement describing why you are a suitable candidate (i.e. outlining your qualifications and skills).
- One example of your academic writing (e.g. an essay, a section from a dissertation).
- Names and contact details for two academic referees.
- A copy of your highest degree certificate and transcript.
- A copy of your English language qualification, where applicable.
Short-listed applicants will be required to attend an interview week commencing Week of 1st July 2024. The successful candidate will be instructed to submit a formal online application via Admissions.
For further information about how to apply, please contact the College of Health Medicine and Life Sciences Postgraduate Research Office on [email protected] .