PhD Studentship: CENTA 2027-B02 Microbial lipid cycling in the oceans: an integrated ‘omics’ approach in Birmingham

Lipids, containing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur, are a major component of all living cells and are constantly released into the oceans due to programmed cell death, viral infections and zooplankton grazing. Current estimates suggest that lipids can account for 10% of total dissolved organic matter (DOC) in the oceans. However, our knowledge on microbial lipid transformation in the oceans is very limited. Neither the identities of the microbes involved, nor the mechanisms by which lipids are degraded, have been well understood.

A major hurdle in understanding the microbial lipid cycle lies in the difficulty in characterizing and quantifying numerous lipid classes in marine samples. Commonly observed lipids in marine ecosystems include phospholipids, glycolipids and amino acid-containing lipids. Recent advances in technologies such as liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) have enabled high throughput identification and quantification of thousands of cellular lipid molecular species, which now enables lipid characterization both qualitatively and quantitatively. Indeed, lipidomics is starting to complement the rapid progress made in genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.

Here in this project, we will combine laboratory and field-based methodologies to fully uncover the lipid cycle in marine waters. The aim of this project is thus twofold:

• Firstly, we aim to establish a high throughput workflow for simultaneous determination of common lipid species in marine surface waters using our in-house HPLC MS platform. This will involve examining samples from the Western English Channel, collected via the Marine Biological Association research vessel, Sepia.
• Secondly, we aim to determine the identity and activity of key microbial populations in the recycling of representative lipids in marine surface waters and coastal marine sediment using an integrated omics approach, e.g. high throughput sequencing of 16S/18S rRNA, metagenomics, and lipidomics.

Funding notes: This project is offered through the CENTA3 DLA, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Funding covers: annual stipend, tuition fees (at home-fee level), Research Training Support Grant. Academic requirements: at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent. International students are eligible for studentships to a maximum of 30% of the cohort. Funding does not cover any additional costs relating to moving or residing in the UK. International applicants must fulfil the University of Birmingham’s international student entry requirements, including English language.

Further information: University of Birmingham International Student Requirements.

References: Shevchenko A, Simons K. 2010 Lipidomics: coming to grips with lipid diversity. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 11:593-598. Westermann et al., 2023 Bacterial catabolism of membrane phospholipids links marine biogeochemical cycles. Science Advances 9 (17), eadf5122. Merchant SS, Helmann JD 2012 Elemental Economy: Microbial Strategies for Optimizing Growth in the Face of Nutrient Limitation. Adv Microb Physiol 60:92-210. Guillonneau, et al 2022 Trade-offs of lipid remodeling in a marine predator–prey interaction in response to phosphorus limitation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 119 (36), e2203057119. Wang N, et al., 2025 Structural basis and evolutionary pathways of glycerol-1-phosphate transport in marine bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Dec 16;122(50): e2524546122.