Background

I completed my bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Amrita University in Kerala, India. I came to the UK in 2022 to do my master’s in microbiology at Teesside University. During my master's internship, I worked with Dr Bruno on a project analysing antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 2, and I had the opportunity to present this work at a conference at Northumbria University. However, I was more interested in environmental microbiology and that interest continued to grow, and for my master’s project, I worked with Dr Caroline, studying on microbial diversity in peat soil samples and investigating the presence of testate amoebas at the Magna Archaeological Site. This project experience developed a deeper curiosity in me about the role of microbes in biogeochemical cycles and their links to climate change.

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About my PhD

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are essential microorganisms present in diverse environments. AOA comprise approximately 40% of marine prokaryotes and are highly adapted to extreme conditions, but little is known about their responses to salinity stress and osmolyte production. My study will focus on two specific osmolytes, dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and glycine betaine (GB), which are also climate-active gases that play an important role in global nitrogen and sulphur cycles.

The objective of my research is to identify the genes, enzymes, and pathways in AOA that regulate DMSP and GB production in response to salinity. I will be growing cultures under varying salinities, analysing upregulated pathways and proteins, and characterizing the biosynthetic enzymes involved in osmolyte production. Additionally, I aim to map the environmental distribution of these pathways using marine metagenomic datasets.

This research will help us better understand the role of AOA in marine ecosystems and how they adapt to changes in ocean salinity, providing valuable insights into microbial resilience and climate change.