PhD in Molecular Biology

Lead organisation: Bangor University/nCollaborating organisations: University of Bristol/nDuration: 3.5 years/nStart date: September 2026/nSupervisor: Rob Griffiths, co-supervisors: Dave Chadwick, Davey Jones/nPhD Studentship Title: Microbial Controls on Soil Nitrogen Storage/nProject overview/nNitrogen (N) availability is a major constraint on plant productivity and a key driver of agricultural pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. While microbial controls on inorganic N cycling are well studied, a major and poorly understood fate of fertiliser N is its assimilation into soil organic nitrogen, particularly microbial protein. This organic N pool is large, dynamic, and potentially critical for improving nitrogen use efficiency, soil carbon storage, and ecosystem resilience./nThis PhD project will focus on the molecular and genomic mechanisms that regulate microbial assimilation of inorganic N into organic forms in soil. By integrating metagenomics, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics with state-of-the-art ¹⁵N isotope fluxomics (led by collaborators in Bristol), the student will help establish direct links between microbial genes, pathways, and measured rates of nitrogen transformation across different soils./nMethods and training/nThe student will receive advanced training in: DNA and RNA extraction from soils; Whole-genome shotgun metagenomics and transcriptomics; Functional annotation (KEGG, MetaCyc, SEED, GapMind); Statistical modelling and machine-learning approaches (e.g. random forests); Integration of molecular data with isotope-based process measurements./nThe project is based on soils from the Henfaes Research Station (Bangor University), spanning grassland, arable, forest, heathland and peat systems. Regular collaboration and training visits to the University of Bristol will ensure close integration with isotope fluxomics and biogeochemical measurements.