PhD Student Vacancy. Ecological impacts of anthelmintic usage on soil micro- and mesofaunal communities
This is a Fixed Term, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.
The Vacancy
Background: Parasitic helminth infections are ubiquitous in grazing livestock throughout the world, causing significant economic and animal health burdens. Control of these parasites relies on treatment with anthelmintics, but there is increasing concern about the fate of these chemicals in the environment once excreted from treated animals. Subtherapeutic and off-target exposure may perturb soil microbial and invertebrate communities and select for resistance in free-living stages of parasites. Soils host ~60% of all known diversity represented by a range of functional taxa that mediate key soil processes delivering essential ecosystem services including support for agricultural production, and climate change mitigation. The impact of anthelmintic activity on these non-target soil taxa is unknown. This studentship seeks to address this knowledge deficit by bringing together expertise from two Scottish Main Research Providers, The James Hutton Institute and Moredun Research, and the University of Glasgow
Aim: To understand the impact of anthelmintic exposure on the biodiversity of key soil taxa (bacteria, fungi, nematode) and to test the hypothesis that natural spatial and temporal variation of soil taxa is greater than detectable effects of anthelmintics.
Methods/Approach: Using controlled and field experimentation coupled with an ‘omics approach, the proposed studentship will measure drug residues in the environment with mass spectrometry, and characterise nematode, bacterial and fungal populations in faeces and soil with amplicon metabarcoding alongside anthelminthic resistance markers in the nematode population. The student will receive training in all techniques and be supported by an experienced multidisciplinary supervisory team.
Outline plan (up to first annual report, ~ 12 months):
Months 1-3: complete PhD programme inductions, identify training needs, conduct a literature review of the known effects of anthelmintics on soil invertebrate communities
Months 3-6: undertake training in veterinary fieldwork and parasitology. Based on knowledge gaps identified from the literature review, with support from the supervisors, design a pilot experiment under controlled conditions that delivers additional training while generating the first dataset for the project. Design and present a poster at the annual Hutton PhD student conference.
Months 7-9: undertake training in molecular biology and soil ecology methods, including DNA isolation and sample preparation for amplicon sequencing of bacteria, fungi and nematodes.
Month 10-12: design first field experiment, write annual report on studentship progress, and present progress to evaluation committee.
Funding Notes:
This 3.5yr PhD project is a competition jointly funded by The James Hutton Institute and the University of Glasgow. This opportunity is open to UK students and will provide funding to cover a stipend and UK level tuition. Students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK and international candidates. Applicants will have a first-class honours degree in a relevant subject or a 2.1 honours degree plus Masters (or equivalent).
How to Apply:
To obtain application forms and further details of how to apply, please click 'Apply Now'. Please note that the closing date for applications is 11/01/2027.
Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity
Any applications that miss the deadline will not be considered.
Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity
We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.
The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Silver Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.
The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.
The Company
The James Hutton Institute combines strengths in crops, soils and land use and environmental research, and makes a major contribution to the understanding of key global issues, such as food, energy and environmental security, and developing and promoting effective technological and management solutions to these.
James Hutton (1726 – 1797) was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, an eighteenth century golden age of intellectual and scientific achievements centred on Edinburgh. He is internationally regarded as the founder of modern geology and one of the first scientists to describe the Earth as a living system. His thinking on natural selection influenced Charles Darwin in developing his theory of evolution.
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