2023 RTP round - Elucidating the role a bioweathering surface rock microbiome may lead to obscuring Murujuga rock art

Status: Closed

Applications open: 8/07/2022
Applications close: 18/08/2022

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

Curtin University is the leading organization involved in the recently funded Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program (MRAMP). The Murujuga World Heritage National Park in WA is home to the largest collection of petroglyphs in the world. The petroglyphs are of Holocene age and have been carved into the thin dark-coloured surface layer (i.e., patina) to expose the lighter-coloured weathering rind underneath. This process created the desired colour contrast to visualise the art. Since the region is also home to petrochemical and fertilizer industry and supporting infrastructure, the overarching aim of the Program is to determine if anthropogenic emissions play a role in accelerating natural weathering processes occurring on the petroglyphs and surrounding rock surface. There is accumulating evidence that bacteria and/or fungi have been involved in the deposition of the iron- or manganese oxides that gave the contrasting patina its red vs. black colour. One hypothesis is that such pollutants may trigger the formation of a different, faster-growing microbiome, that produces surface pH-lowering organic acids, which may ultimately cause the dissolution of the patina to expose the lighter-coloured weathered rock below and obscure the rock art.
Rock surface samples (and background controls) have been collected during the wet season earlier this year and the same rocks and background samples will be sampled during the dry season in July 2022. 
The objectives of this PhD project are to: 
1. Use advanced molecular biological approaches including bioinformatics to characterise:
(a) Microbial community composition associated with rock patina and the underlying weathering rind. This answers “Who is there?” 
(b) Diversity and relative abundance of functional genes involved in microbial processes and pathways that may contribute to stabilising or bio-deteriorating the rock patina are present: This answers: ”What are they potentially doing?”
(c) Characterise which of these functional genes are expressed to functional gene transcripts that can potentially be translated into functional proteins/enzymes that carry out these processes. 
Perform cultivation experiments to follow seasonal changes in the composition and number of viable bacteria and fungi isolated from the rock (sub)surfaces and to compare the community composition and metabolic potential with the microbiomes from the pristine field samples. 
Perform multivariate biostatistical analysis to determine which organic and inorganic pollutants vs. natural products, physical properties, and rock minerals (i.e., datasets that will be generated by the additional chief investigators involved in the MRAMP) contributed to significantly shaping the composition and physiological properties of the rock patina microbiome.
Perform cloud/exposure chamber time-series exposure experiments to determine the threshold concentrations of the key pollutants in the region that result in a shift in microbial communities with bioweathering properties. 

An Internship opportunity may also be available with this project.

Student type

• Future Students

Faculty

• Faculty of Science & Engineering
  • Science courses
  • Engineering courses
  • Western Australian School of Mines (WASM)

Course type

• Higher Degree by Research

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

The annual scholarship package (stipend and tuition fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a.

 

Successful HDR applicants for admission will receive a 100% fee offset for up to 4 years, stipend scholarships, valued at $28,854 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3.5 years, are determined via a competitive selection process. Applicants will be notified of the scholarship outcome in November 2022. 

 

For detailed information, visit: Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Scholarship Details
Maximum number awarded

1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses

Eligibility criteria

Molecular biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics (most important), organic and isotope geochemistry, and some background in microbial physiology. Please note that it will not be easy to find a candidate who excels in all these disciplines and they will get the required supervision from this team of experts. 

Application process

If this project excites you, and your research skills and experience are a good fit for this specific project, you should contact the Project Lead (listed below in the enquires section) via the Expression of Interest (EOI) form.

Enrolment Requirements

Eligible to enrol in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2023

Enquiries

To enquire about this project opportunity that includes a scholarship application, contact the Project lead, Associate Professor Marco Coolen via the EOI form above.

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