Unexpected sulfur cycling in terrestrial settings

Lead Supervisor: Prof Jon Todd

Location: University of East Anglia, Biological Sciences

Duration: 6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees: Microbiology, Molecular Biology or Biological Sciences

Project background

The student will participate in weekly supervisory team meetings and whole group meetings where they will present data, problem solve, discuss progress, plan future experimentation, discuss the write-up and engage with other team projects. They will also attend and lean from weekly molecular microbiology seminars in BIO and ENV at UEA and, where relevant at JIC, Quadrum and The Earlham Institute, where postgraduates, PIs from the Norwich Research Park (with >100 microbiologist PIs) and guest lecturers present cutting edge research.  This will provide excellent first-hand experience of academic life in a centre of excellence for diverse microbiology research and a strong appreciation for the importance of collaboration to enable multidisciplinary.

As detailed above, the project is designed to succeed, but there is plenty of scope for innovative design, e.g., on environmental regulation work, aided by interaction with Todd and his team to advise and assist. The student will be taught to critically evaluate their data and potentially be fluid in design of the next logical steps.

The student will have to write up their data and methods in a lab book and summarise their findings in a project report in the format of a scientific paper. This will develop the students scientific writing skills and may form the basis of a future publication on which they will be a significant author.