PhD Studentship: Resolving carbon pathways to microbiomes in extreme geothermal environments The University of Manchester in United Kingdom

[Annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift), tuition fees paid, stipend expected to increase each year.]

This 3.5-year PhD studentship at The University of Manchester offers an exciting opportunity to investigate carbon pathways to microbiomes in extreme geothermal environments. The project is based in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and is open to both Home (UK) and overseas students. The successful candidate will receive a competitive annual tax-free stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26, subject to annual uplift) and full tuition fees, with the stipend expected to increase each year. The anticipated start date is October 2026, and early application is encouraged as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

The research focuses on microbial communities in geothermal springs, which are characterized by low phylogenetic diversity and limited organic carbon inputs. These unique environments serve as reservoirs for organisms capable of efficient CO2-driven carbon cycling, presenting opportunities for novel CO2 capture and bioconversion processes that could surpass current technologies. The project aims to experimentally resolve pathways of carbon flow from gaseous sources into microbiomes using state-of-the-art stable isotope tracer experiments (13C) to track CO2 utilization by different microbial taxa.

The central hypothesis is that CO2-driven carbon cycling is conducted via a metabolic division of labour among multiple community members, which can be traced through stable isotope probing linked to multi-omics analyses. System-level measurements will be integrated with analysis of the metabolic potential of experimental communities using strain-resolved metagenomics, performed by other team members. Isotope tracer experiments will be conducted both in situ in geothermal springs in Iceland and under controlled laboratory conditions in Manchester.

This PhD is part of a multi-disciplinary team supported by a £5.4 million BBSRC sLoLa grant, offering numerous opportunities for training and collaboration. Direct training will be provided in isotopic, -omics, and microbial ecology approaches, equipping the student with advanced skills relevant to environmental microbiology and bioconversion research.

The supervisory team includes Dr Sophie Nixon and Dr Andrew Pitt from The University of Manchester, and Dr David Johnson from Lancaster University. Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline. Suitable backgrounds include biology, environmental science, earth science, chemistry, or related fields. Candidates should demonstrate academic excellence and motivation for the project. Both Home and overseas students are eligible to apply.

To apply, candidates should submit an online application via the provided link and contact Dr Sophie Nixon at [email protected], including details of their current level of study, academic background, relevant experience, and a paragraph outlining their motivation for pursuing this PhD project. Early application is recommended due to the possibility of the advert being removed before the deadline.