PhD Studentship: Characterising Hydrocarbon Degradation Pathways for Post Oil Spill Monitoring Using Bacterial Hydrocarbon Biodegradation Genes

Supervisory team 

Dr Boyd Mckew and Professor Terry McGenity, University of Essex, School of Life Sciences

Dr David Lea-Smith, School of Biological Sciences, UEA

Dr Rob Holland, OSRL Oil Spill Response Ltd

Scientific background

Oil spills are one of the most challenging threats to the marine environment with potential long-term impacts on fisheries, the economy and society. It is estimated that 1,400,000 million tonnes of oil enter the sea annually, where hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria play the main role in natural attenuation. There is a need to fully understand the many biodegradation pathways and genes involved in hydrocarbon biodegradation to assist in post-spill monitoring of microbial communities and to develop tools that allow us to estimate microbial capacity to respond to hydrocarbon degradation, or, using gene expression analysis, to quantify the actual response. 

Research methodology & training

You will use our newly developed genetic engineering toolset to characterise hydrocarbon degradation pathways in some of the most important and abundant hydrocarbon degraders including alkane-degrading Alcanivorax, Thalassolituus, Oleispira and PAH-degrading Cycloclasticus. You will receive interdisciplinary training in experimental design, statistics, R programming, environmental microbiology and genetics, molecular ecology, synthetic biology, heterologous protein expression, proteomics and hydrocarbon quantification by GC-MS/MS. There will also be numerous opportunities for marine and coastal fieldwork, surveying sites of past oil spills, assessing new oil spills that may occur over the course of the PhD, and training in the field on industry courses such as 'Environmental Advisor'. You will be part of the vibrant ARIES cohort, the Ecology and Environmental Microbiology Group at the University of Essex, and the Lea-Smith Lab at the University of East Anglia (UEA), and engage with a wide range of post-doctoral researchers, PhD students, OSRL and their many industry collaborators. There will also be training in research dissemination for participation at international science conferences and local outreach programs (e.g. Norwich Science Festival and The Pint of Science).

Person specification 

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated student with a background in Microbiology, Marine Biology, Ecological Sciences or Biotechnology, who is keen to learn new skills to address a global environmental issue. The successful applicant will undertake studies at the University of Essex, with time spent at UEA, as part of a multi-disciplinary team with Boyd McKew, David Lea-Smith, Terry McGenity, and Rob Holland.

Apply Link

Email a cover letter and CV via the above ‘Apply’ button.

Funding Details

Funding Minimum

Based on UKRI rates 2023/24 £18,622 p.a. 

Additional Funding Information

This project has been shortlisted for funding by the ARIES NERC DTP.

Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a NERC studentship, which covers fees, stipend (£18,622 p.a. for 2023/24) and research funding. International applicants are eligible for fully-funded ARIES studentships including fees. Please note however that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK.

Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.

ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

For further information, please visit www.aries-dtp.ac.uk

Closing Date: 23:59 on 10 January 2024