New perspectives on ocean photosynthesis
Not stated
- Location
- Southampton, United Kingdom
- Funding
- Fully funded (UK and international); Stipend in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase
- Application deadline
- See university guidance
About the project
Solar energy ultimately drives all biogeochemical cycles and sustains planetary habitability. In the oceans, diverse microbes absorb this solar energy and many use it in photoautotrophic processes that ‘fix’ new carbon, thereby sustaining the carbon cycle. Often, however, carbon-fixation is limited by available nutrients (for example, iron) but light is still absorbed to drive photoheterotrophic processes [1]. There is an increasing appreciation of the importance and role of this photoheterotrophic metabolism in ocean systems in powering vital cellular processes such as CO2 concentration and nutrient uptake [2]. However, the mechanistic basis of different photoheterotrophic processes and how/when they are used are not well understood [3]. This project aims to couple in situ and experimental approaches to understand the conditions under which different solar energy capture strategies are used and the cellular processes they maintain. This will provide important new insights into the use of solar energy to sustain the planetary system, and how the system evolved and will adapt in a future ocean.
For full project details visit the Inspire project page .
Supervisors
- Professor Tom Bibby (University of Southampton)
- Professor Mark Moore (University of Southampton)
- Dr Torrado (University of Seville)
Professor Tom Bibby
- (1) The role of photosynthetic microbes in global biogeochemical cycles(2) The use of photosynthetic microbes for sustainable products
Professor Mark Moore
- Marine Biogeochemistry
- Oceanic nutrient and carbon cycling
- Phytoplankton photosynthesis
Entry requirements
A 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent , in one of these subjects:
- biology
- chemistry
- mathematics
- oceanography or marine science
Fees and funding
INSPIRE studentships are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI). The stipend is in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase.
All studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years.
How to apply
To make an application, visit the how to apply section of the Inspire website .
Contact us
For questions about the project, email Professor Tom Bibby:
For questions about the application process, email the graduate school office:
- tsb@soton.ac.uk
- gsnocs@soton.ac.uk