Supervisor(s): Dr James Bradley (james.bradley@qmul.ac.uk QMUL Geography), Dr Kate Heppell (QMUL Geography), Dr A Jungblut (Natural History Museum)
Application Deadline: Applications accepted all year round
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Project description
Glaciers and ice sheets are important microbe-dominated ecosystems, that are undergoing rapid changes due to climate change. Supraglacial (glacier surface) ecosystems contain organisms from all three domains of life, which drive carbon and nutrient cycling, and cause ice darkening, thus enhancing ice mass loss. Advances to understanding microbial and biogeochemical processes on glacier and ice sheet surfaces, and their significance on local and global biogeochemical cycles, requires the development of robust numerical models and their integration with experimental data. This PhD project will bridge the gap between modelling and empirical research by developing a process-based model for glacier surface habitats, informed by measurements of microbial communities and their activity on glacier surfaces. The microbial-biogeochemical model will be calibrated by experiments designed to inform model parameters, and will be used to investigate feedbacks between microbial activity and environmental change, and quantify carbon and nutrient fluxes across glacier and ice sheet surfaces. This project will involve both computational modelling and laboratory techniques, and Arctic fieldwork (circumstances depending). The student will work at the forefront of cryosphere-ecosystem research, gaining key skills in numerical modelling, experimental techniques, and fieldwork. The student will collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team across Queen Mary University of London and the Natural History Museum. The project would suit a student with an interest in polar geomicrobiology and numerical modelling.
Policy Impact of Research
This research has relevance for decision making on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and impact on conservation prioritisation.
Research Relating to this Project
Anesio et al. (2017) The microbiome of glaciers and ice sheets. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.
Bradley et al. (2016) Bridging the divide: a model-data approach to Polar and Alpine microbiology. FEMS Microbiology Ecology.
Margesin & Collins (2019) Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.
How to apply
Opportunities for funding include London NERC DTP and QMUL Principal’s Postgraduate Research Studentships. For further information about the project, eligibility and future application deadlines in 2020/21, please contact Dr James Bradley.
Related Subjects
Environmental Science
Geography
Ecology & Conservation
Geology
Geophysics