PhD Studentship: The Cycling of Climate-Active Sulfur Compounds by Major Crops

This multidisciplinary PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia explores how terrestrial plants and associated soil microbes cycle climate-active sulfur compounds such as dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). The successful candidate will combine seasonal field studies on maize plantations in East Anglia with advanced analytical chemistry, process-level measurements, and culture-dependent and -independent microbiology techniques. Working alongside leading research teams at UEA and the Quadram Institute Bioscience, the student will receive comprehensive interdisciplinary training spanning molecular ecology, plant physiology, and bioinformatics. The project offers scope for the student to tailor investigations toward plant growth-promoting microbial isolates or novel sulfur-cycling genes.

• Conduct seasonal field studies on maize plantations to measure DMSP production, accumulation, and climate-active gas flux.
• Analyze plant tissue and soil samples using gas and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
• Perform molecular biology assays including RT-qPCR to investigate sulfur-cycling processes.
• Execute culture-dependent and -independent microbiology techniques, such as DNA-stable isotope probing, to identify DMSP-degrading microbes.
• Isolate and characterize model microbial organisms and explore their potential plant growth-promoting effects.
• Present research findings at weekly team meetings, national and international conferences, and through peer-reviewed publications and a doctoral thesis.