The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary is one of the UK’s elite research centres, according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). We offer a multi-disciplinary research environment and have approximately 180 PhD students working on projects in the biological and psychological sciences. Our students have access to a variety of research facilities supported by experienced staff, as well as a range of student support services.
The Department of Biology has state-of-the-art facilities to carry out chemical, microbiological and molecular biology analyses. These include equipment such as gas chromatographers to measure methane, carbon dioxide and volatile sulfur compounds; ion chromatograph to measure sulfate and organic compounds; PCR and real-time PCR machines for DNA-based analysis; clean room for RNA studies; microscopy units and high-performance computing facilities for bioinformatics.
Our PhD students become part of Queen Mary’s Doctoral College which provides training and development opportunities, advice on funding, and financial support for research. Our students also have access to a Researcher Development Programme designed to help recognise and develop key skills and attributes needed to effectively manage research, and to prepare and plan for the next stages of their career.
You will be trained in analytical chemistry using gas and ion chromatographs; moecular biology techniques for DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, sequence library preparation and related bioinformatics tools to analyse amplicon sequence data, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics.
You will also visit the industrial facilities around London area and be trained for chemical analysis of wastewater as well as lab- and pilot-scale reactor operation in collaboration with industrial partners.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases with 298 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide over 100 years. It has been established that one of the routes of N2O emission to the atmosphere is via the wastewater treatment reactors. Wastewater contains significant quantities of ammonia (a nitrogenous compound), which is treated through processes called nitrification and denitrification before the effluent water is discharged to receiving water bodies. However, inefficient processes lead to N2O formation and eventual emission of this influential gas.
Currently, the actual microbiological route to N2O production and the operational parameters affecting this process in wastewater treatment reactors are unclear. In this project, you will use molecular biology teachniques to identify the active microorganisms and their pathways underlying the N2O formation in wastewater treatment reactors.
In collaboration with municipal wastewater treatment companies, you will analyse samples from full-scale reactors to identify the microbial populations and pathways; run laboratory-scale reactors under controlled conditions to understand the effect of operational parameters on the N2O production and operate pilot-scale reactors at the partner industry to test the effect of these conditions on the N2O emissions during continous operation.
This studentship is open to students applying for China Scholarship Council funding. Queen Mary University of London has partnered with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to offer a joint scholarship programme to enable Chinese students to study for a PhD programme at Queen Mary. Under the scheme, Queen Mary will provide scholarships to cover all tuition fees, whilst the CSC will provide living expenses for 4 years and one return flight ticket to successful applicants.
Applicants must be:- Chinese students with a strong academic background.- Students holding a PR Chinese passport.- Either be resident in China at the time of application or studying overseas.- Students with prior experience of studying overseas (including in the UK) are eligible to apply. Chinese QMUL graduates/Masters’ students are therefore eligible for the scheme.Please refer to the CSC website for full details on eligibility and conditions on the scholarship.
Applicants from outside of the UK are required to provide evidence of their English Language ability. Please see our English Language requirements page for details: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/international-students/englishlanguagerequirements/postgraduateresearch/
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Ozge Eyice at o.eyice@qmul.ac.uk
Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by 31st January 2024 for consideration, including a CV, personal statement and qualifications. You must meet the IELTS/ English Language requirements for your course and submit all required documentation (including evidence of English Language) by 14th March 2024. You are therefore strongly advised to sit an approved English Language test as soon as possible.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview by the supervisor. If you are successful in your application, then you will be issued an QMUL Offer Letter, conditional on securing a CSC scholarship along with academic conditions still required to meet our entry requirements. Once applicants have obtained their QMUL Offer Letter, they should then apply to CSC for the scholarship by in March 2024 with the support of the supervisor.
Only applicants who are successful in their application to CSC can be issued an unconditional offer and enrol on our PhD programme. For further information, please go to: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/scholarships/items/china-scholarship-council-scholarships.html
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