Modelling microscale resource use in soil

Soil hosts a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity and represents one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth. Understanding how soils function and respond to natural and anthropogenic perturbation is therefore one of the greatest challenges in ecosystem science, particularly as soil functioning underpins a wide range of key ecosystem services (e.g. food provisioning, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, genetic resources).

This studentship offers the exciting possibility to understand what regulates the competition for resources in soil. It will look at microscale competition and the strategies that microbes use to either compete with or against their neighbours (game theory in soil).

The studentship provides a unique training experience by combining computer modelling, fieldwork and experiments (novel isotopic techniques and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry) to better understand how soil works.

We expect the PhD to lead to a range of high impact publications thereby providing the student with a firm platform to develop their scientific career.

Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in subjects such as Environmental Science, Agriculture, Geography or Natural Sciences.

For further details please contact Prof Davey Jones d.jones@bangor.ac.uk