A year in the microbial life of the Arctic Ocean

MOULTON_UCMP25ARIES

A year in the microbial life of the Arctic Ocean

MOULTON_UCMP25ARIES

Project Description

Supervisors

Professor Vincent Moulton, Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia – contact me

Professor Thomas Mock, ENV, UEA

Dr Richard Leggett, The Earlham Institute

Dr Fanny Monteiro, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol

Scientific background

Arctic ecosystems are among those that are most affected by climate change anywhere on Earth, with air temperatures rising four times faster than the global average. Despite being one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet, the Arctic Ocean supports a complex ecosystem including fish, marine mammals, and zooplankton. Microbes are the base of this food web and play important roles in biogeochemical cycles. However, due to inaccessibility of the Arctic, there is a fundamental lack of understanding into how microbial communities in the Central Arctic Ocean respond to seasonal changes. To fill this gap of knowledge, the 2019-2020 Multidisciplinary Observatory for Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition undertook the largest ever survey of the Arctic Ocean, including the first ever year-long time series of Arctic metagenomes and metatranscriptomes.

Research methodology

The aim of this project is to analyse and model changes in microbial diversity and traits over the course of a year, using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data from the MOSAiC expedition. The student will synthesise multiple data sources from MOSAiC, including biogeochemical measurements, oceanographic data, and the MOSAiC metagenome and metatranscriptome time-series. Gene abundance and expressions level will be used as indicators of physiological traits, such as ice-adaptation, nutrient metabolism, or autotrophy. The student will become familiar with both traditional species distribution models and machine learning tools, such as hierarchical modelling of species communities and Gaussian processes and will use them to build models describing seasonal changes in microbial communities. In the final part of the project, these models will be combined with broader oceanographic and climate predictions to forecast how Arctic microbial communities and traits might change in response to climate change.

Training

You will work with a world-leading team of experts in Arctic microbial genomics and ocean modelling based at UEA, The Earlham Institute and University of Bristol as well as other members of the MOSAiC consortium. They will gain new skills in areas including bioinformatics, data analysis, machine learning, ecosystem modelling, and marine microbiology.

Person Specification

We are looking for an enthusiastic student who is excited about applying interdisciplinary techniques to understand the potential effects of global change on oceanic microbes.

Acceptable first degree subjects: Computer Science, Data Science

References

  • Duncan A, et al. Dataset of 143 metagenome-assembled genomes from the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, including 21 for eukaryotic organisms. Data in Brief. 2023 Apr 1;47:108990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.108990
  • Duncan A, Barry K, Daum C, et al. (2022) Metagenome-assembled genomes of phytoplankton microbiomes from the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Microbiome. 10(1):67. https://doi:10.1186/s40168-022-01254-7
  • Mock T, Boulton W, Balmonte JP, Barry K, Bertilsson S, et al. (2022) Multiomics in the central Arctic Ocean for benchmarking biodiversity change. PLOS Biology. 20(10): e3001835. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001835
  • Velten, B., Braunger, J.M., Argelaguet, R. et al. (2022) Identifying temporal and spatial patterns of variation from multimodal data using MEFISTO. Nat. Methods. 19, 179–186. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01343-9
  • Martin, Kara et al. (2021) The biogeographic differentiation of algal microbiomes in the upper ocean from pole to pole. Nature communications. 12(1): 5483. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25646-9

Key Information

  • This studentship has been shortlisted for funding under the UKRI NERC DLA funding scheme and will commence on 1 October 2025. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 8th January 2025.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£19,237 p.a. for 2024/25) and research funding. A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note however that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
  • ARIES postgradute researcher (PGRs) benefit from bespoke graduate training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or imigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive, and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns please contact us.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential, and will be stored on the UEA sharepoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships, and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be ask to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • If funded under the BBSRC-NERC DLA scheme, ARIES studentships will be subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. See https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information

Apply Now

Apply via the  University of East Anglia application portal