PhD Studentship: Comparative chemical mapping of plant-soil interaction

Southampton has world-class facilities for this work. At the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS) we have facilities for the bulk micro-beam and in situ measurement of elemental concentrations and isotopic (stable, metal, radiogenic) compositions of environment samples (including soils, rocks, fluids, gases, tissue, organic materials, and atmospheric particles). These analytical instruments are coupled with excellent sample preparation facilities.

Scanning electron microscopes with energy dispersive and wavelength dispersive X-ray detection (e.g., Leo 1450VP SEM with PGT EDS detector)provide major and high concentration elemental mapping coupled with textural analysis. An EDAX Eagle III micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer provides high resolution (~40 µm and below) mapping of major and trace element concentrations for samples up to 15 cm across. Soil solution chemical analysis facilities include ThemoFisher Xseries2 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometers (ICP-MS) and ThermoFisher Element II ICP-MS for higher sensitivity analysis, and ThermoElemental XSeriesAtomic Emission ICP.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Tiina Roose of Bioengineering Sciences Research Group, Email: t.roose@soton.ac.uk or Sam Keyes, Email: S.D.Keyes@soton.ac.uk

To apply please use the following link http://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/postgraduate/research_degrees/apply.page? and select Faculty of Engineering and the Environment.