PhD Studentship: Life and Death in the Deep Biosphere

DoS: Dr Hayley Manners (hayley.manners@plymouth.ac.uk)

2^nd Supervisor: Dr Michael Wilde (michael.wilde@plymouth.ac.uk)

3^rd Supervisor: Dr Paul Sutton (P.A.Sutton@plymouth.ac.uk)

Applications are invited for a 3.5 years PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 01 October 2025

Project Description

Scientific Background 

Archaea, one of three Domains of life on Earth, are an ancient form of organism that occur ubiquitously across a diverse array of environments, from oceans to extreme environments such as hot springs. A unique characteristic of Archaea is their ability to adjust the composition of their membrane lipids in response to environmental conditions, including compounds known as glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) which are comprised of 80 carbon atoms (C80) with four terminal ether groups. The widespread distribution of these lipids, and stability over geological timescales, mean GDGTs are commonly used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions (e.g. sea surface temperature), allowing a better understanding of how climate has changed in the past, which in turn can be used to predict future change. GDGTs are also used as a proxy of microbial activity in extreme environments, which provides insight into how life survives in extreme environments, and in turn informs the search for extraterrestrial life.

Despite their popular use, their post-depositional behaviour, including biodegradation and resultant end-products, remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap is critical for accurately applying these lipids in both paleoenvironmental reconstruction and studies of microbial activity.

Interestingly, structurally similar compounds (C80 tetraacids), found globally in crude oils, are speculated to be diagenetic end-products from the biodegradation of specific GDGT-type compounds. The studentship will explore this research gap by investigating the link between these compounds, transforming current understanding and enhancing the robustness of their use in paleoenvironmental reconstruction and advancing our understanding of their fate in extreme environments.

Research Methodology

1. Method development to isolate, identify and quantify intact and degraded ether lipids
2. Biodegradation experiments to monitor the fate of ether lipids
3. Investigation of the interaction of tetraacids with mineral surfaces 

Training

The successful applicant will be trained in the use of state-of-the-art chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. Training in data analysis will be provided, and attendance at the Urbino Summer School in Paleoclimatology will be encouraged to support contextualisation of findings.

Person Specification

We seek an enthusiastic individual with experience working in a laboratory and an appreciation of paleoclimatology and chromatographic techniques.

For information on Eligibility and Funding, please click on the links below: 

• Eligibility 
• Funding

To apply for this position please click on the Apply button above.  

Please clearly state the name of the DoS and the studentship that you are applying for at the top of your personal statement. 

Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our How to Apply for a Research Degree webpage or contact the Doctoral College.

The closing date for applications on 8^th January 2025.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications.

Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

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