Zero waste, on-the-go sensors for soil health and nutrient assessment
Supervisors:
Dr Andrew Ward, Civil and Environmental Engineering (University of Strthclyde)
Prof Jessica Davies, Lancaster Environment Centre (Lancaster University)
Prof John Quinton, Lancaster Environment Centre (Lancaster University)
Summary:
Soil nutrient balance is essential to maintaining the productivity of crops and livestock systems. Degraded soils in the UK cost an estimated £1.2 Bn per year and over the last 30 years, nitrogen and phosphate have decreased by 17% and 26% respectively. The conventional approach to soil fertility analysis is through the use of laboratory based services, but this approach is costly and time intensive. This project offers an exciting opportunity to develop a novel new approach to rapid on-the-go soil fertility monitoring through the development of a biosensor platform. In the project, you’ll initially work at the University of Strathclyde to create sensors for nitrate and phosphate – two key nutrients for plant growth – and then test them in increasingly complex samples, working up to field trials in the final year at Lancaster University. As part of the comprehensive training programme offered in the studentship, you’ll complete training and gain internship experience that will make you highly attractive for employment in range of sectors within academia and industry.