Project Description
Supervisors
Dr Hayley Manners, Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SoGEES), University of Plymouth – contact me
Dr Michael Wilde, University of Plymouth
Dr Paul Sutton, University of Plymouth
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.
Acceptable first degree subjects: Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Science