Associations between environmental microbiome and human activities.

Built environments such as buildings, vehicles, human-associated spaces are the main environment in which most individuals spend their lives, yet only in recent years has there been a surge to understand the microbial communities which surround us. This project looks to investigate the associations between environmental microbes and human activities.

Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Supervised by: Dr Soon Gweon

The Placement Project

We live in a microbial world, although not seen with the naked eye, microbes are everywhere. From the microbes that are indigenous to our body to the indoor environments or built environments which harbor complex communities of all microbial types. Built environments are the main environment in which most individuals spend their lives, yet only in recent years has there been a surge to understand the microbial communities which surround us. These studies can guide improvements into enhancing human health in built environments. If we knew enough about our surroundings, could we manage microbial communities in our built environments to promote stable “healthy” communities and prevent the spread of disease, contributing to better human well-being. This project hopes to explore the microbial communities, predominately bacterial, of understudied areas of the built environments to expand our knowledge and provide the foundation for future research.

Tasks

Working in a laboratory, the students will undertake growth and isolation of bacterial culture, DNA extraction and quality assessment, characterisation of microbial (bacterial) communities from environmental samples.

Skills, knowledge and experience required

Basic knowledge of laboratory skills, Ideally Including pipette handling, basic chemistry knowledge to enable the understanding of DNA handling protocols, good record keeping skills, good teamwork skills.

Skills which will be developed during the placement

This will include both traditional and modern microbiology/molecular techniques including isolation, purification, characterisation, identification and storage of environmental microorganisms.

Place of Work

Use of laboratories in HLS building, Reading University.

Hours of Work

35 hours/week (6 weeks total - flexible start and end date)

Approximate Start and End Dates (not fixed)

Thursday 01 June 2023 - Thursday 13 July 2023

How to Apply

The deadline to apply for this opportunity is Monday 3rd April 2023. Students should submit their CV and Cover Letter directly to the Project Supervisor (click on supervisor name at the top of the page for email). Successful candidates will be invited for an interview.