Natasha Tsekiri

Natasha Tsekiri

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BSc. Biological Sciences from the University of East Anglia.

Through a multidisciplinary pathway, I explored areas in Field Ecology, Evolution & Microbiology that deepened my interests in understanding Biodiversity management and led to a growing focus on researching the influences that microorganisms have on ecosystem components.

My final year dissertation entitled ‘Microbial community assemblage varies between a naturally occurring and managed realignment (MR) saltmarsh on the North Norfolk Coast, UK’ sought to identify variation in microbial community composition with relation to environmental factors to better understand why plant diversity at managed realignment saltmarshes in the UK have been found to not be representative of their natural counterparts.

Natasha Tsekiri

PhD title: The cycling of typical marine organosulphur compounds in unexpected places.

DMSP is a key marine nutrient and anti-stress compound that has roles in global sulphur cycling, signalling and the release of climate active gases (CAG). New data shows that DMSP production occurs not only in marine environments but also terrestrial plants, such as wheat crops, and has unveiled bacteria in soils associated to the catabolism of DMSP at levels that are as significant as seen in marine samples, but very little is known about it. With over 200 million hectares of wheat farmed globally and the climate regulation potential of DMSP along with its role as an antistress compound; addressing the unknowns is key to gaining a better understanding of how the sulphur cycle and its associated organisms effect the environment around them.

In this project, I will identify the microbes associated with DMSP catabolism on wheat plantations, the pathways used to do so, CAG released and how DMSP catabolism is influenced by environmental changes. I will also investigate wheat DMSP production, accumulation and CAG flux to infer the environmental significance of DMSP production in wheat plantations.

Other information

Member and survey volunteer at Norfolk and Norwich Bat Group which involves the capture, recording and monitoring of resident and migratory bat species in and across Norfolk.