The controlled release of semiochemicals from porous materials for pest control (2019)
What you get
The scholarship covers:
- Tuition fees at UK/EU rate
- Living expenses at £15,009 per year (tax free) in 2019-20 and rising in line with inflation
- Laboratory consumables
Type of award
Postgraduate Research
PhD project
A Ph.D. studentship (42 months) is available from October 2019 in the School of Life Sciences under the joint supervision of Prof John Spencer, in Chemistry, and Prof William Hughes, in Evolution Behaviour and Environment.
With over one billion undernourished people in the world, the need to develop novel crop protection strategies that are easy to implement and transferable to end users cannot be under-estimated. The sustainable production of food and other natural resources is one of the greatest challenges facing society in the twenty-first century, and insect pests are a significant impediment to this. In the face of a growing population, shrinking resources and pesticide resistance, there is a growing need for the development of better targeted and more environmentally friendly strategies for the integrated management of insect pests. Porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a novel way of achieving this. The project will combine techniques from chemistry with chemical ecology and integrated pest management to develop the use of MOF materials for the slow and controlled delivery of semiochemicals to attract pest insect species to insecticide bait. The student will design and synthesise novel ligands for porous materials, and test their behavioural activity and pest management potential for a range of insect pests in laboratory bioassays and field trials.
Candidates should have a strong background in both biology and chemistry, with ability and motivation to integrate techniques from both disciplines, and ideally practical and theoretical experience of organic synthesis, insect
behaviour and pest management. The student will be supported by experts in MOF synthesis and modelling (Burrows/ Düren, University of Bath) organic ligand synthesis (Spencer) and chemical ecology (Hughes). There will be plenty opportunities to visit all labs in this project to gain transferable skills
Eligibility
The Scholarship is open to UK, EU and Overseas applicants, but the grant only covers Home/EU fees, so overseas applicants would need to fund the difference UK and overseas fees (currently £16,000 per year).
Candidates should have a strong background in both biology and chemistry, with ability and motivation to integrate techniques from both disciplines, and ideally practical and theoretical experience of organic synthesis, insect behaviour and pest management. Candidates for whom English is not their first language will require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in any section.
Number of scholarships available
One
Deadline
31 July 2019 23:45How to apply
Candidates must submit a formal application using our online application system: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply.
Candidates are required to upload:
- CV
- Degree transcripts and certificates
- Statement of interest
- Names of two academic referees
- IELTS Certificate, for non-UK applicants
- Copy of Passport
On the application system use Programme of Study – PhD Chemistry/Biology. In the supervisor section state Professor John Spencer. In the funding section state that you are applying for a Leverhulme Project Studentship in Life Sciences.
Contact us
For enquiries about the application process contact lifesciphd@sussex.ac.uk
For enquiries about the project contact Profs John Spencer and William Hughes; j.spencer@sussex.ac.uk; William.Hughes@sussex.ac.uk.
Background information can be found at:
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/spencerlab/;
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/hugheslab/ .
Availability
At level(s):
PG (research)
Application deadline:
31 July 2019 23:45 (GMT)
the deadline has now expired
Countries
The award is available to people from these specific countries: