EastBio: From Burden to Biology: Mercury, Selenium and Physiological Resilience in Marine Mammals

Details

This fully funded, 4-year PhD project is part of a competition funded by the BBSRC EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership.

Marine mammals accumulate some of the highest concentrations of mercury (Hg) recorded in wildlife. Yet many long-lived species appear able to tolerate substantial and progressively increasing Hg burdens without obvious signs of toxicity. Selenium (Se) is thought to play a key role in this resilience by binding and sequestering Hg into inert complexes, thereby reducing its biological availability. However, this protection may come at a cost: Se is also essential for a range of biological processes, including antioxidant defense, metabolism and cellular function. As increasing amounts of Se are diverted towards Hg detoxification, when does protection become a biological cost?

This interdisciplinary PhD will move beyond measuring contaminant concentrations to investigate how marine mammals maintain physiological resilience despite lifelong Hg exposure. The project will integrate comparative ecotoxicology, genomics, bioinformatics and analytical chemistry to elucidate the mechanisms underlying Hg–Se interactions and their biological consequences.

The student will investigate how Hg and Se burdens vary across species and throughout the lifespan, using existing datasets and a systematic synthesis of published data. Comparative genomic approaches will examine the conservation and evolution of genes and proteins involved in Hg sensitivity, metal detoxification and Se metabolism across marine mammals and other vertebrates. These molecular targets will be integrated into protein interaction and biological pathway networks to investigate how Hg binding or Se sequestration could propagate from molecular interactions to disruption of cellular and physiological processes. Where appropriate, opportunities may be available to integrate elemental and molecular analyses using archived marine mammal tissues.

Finally, the student will develop an integrative framework to identify the factors that determine physiological resilience to Hg exposure. Rather than assuming a universal toxicity threshold, the project will ask whether species differ in their capacity to buffer increasing contaminant burdens, and whether there are identifiable limits to this compensation.

The student will receive interdisciplinary training in marine mammal ecotoxicology, comparative genomics, bioinformatics, systematic review and meta-analysis, biological network and pathway analysis, and quantitative modelling. Depending on the final direction of the project, there will also be opportunities for training in advanced analytical chemistry and metallomics.

This project will suit a student interested in applying computational and quantitative approaches to answer fundamental questions in environmental biology, while working across biology, chemistry and ecology.

This project is available for part-time study (Home/UK students only).

Interested applicants should contact the lead supervisor to discuss the project prior to applying. You can do this by selecting the first listed name at the top of this advert and sending your enquiry. Alternatively, you can search for the supervisor through the University of Aberdeen staff directory and email them directly.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants should hold a minimum of a 2:1 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject. Those with a 2:2 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) may be considered, provided they have (or are expected to achieve) a Distinction or Commendation at master’s level.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to having a diverse, inclusive team.

All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on funding for postgraduate training and development. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the Terms and conditions for training funding – UKRI.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

For full details and to download the application form, visit: https://biology.ed.ac.uk/eastbio/how-to-apply

Please note that you may only apply for one EASTBIO project.

1. Application submission

Submit your complete application by 23:59 GMT on 16th November 2026 to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Send your application as a single email with the subject line:

“EASTBIO Application – [Your Name]”

2. Required documents

Your application email must include the following:

• Completed EASTBIO application form
• Academic certificates and transcripts
• Two references (one reference may be non-academic)

3. References

All references must be provided using the official EASTBIO reference form (available here).

References can be either:

• Included with your application, or
• Sent directly by referees to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk with the subject line: “EASTBIO Reference – [Your Name]”

All references must be received by 23:59 GMT on 16th November 2026.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure both references are submitted by the deadline, as we cannot request them on your behalf.

Important notes

• No research proposal is required.
• Do not include any additional documents (for example, school certificates, conference papers, or dissertations).
• Incomplete applications or those including unnecessary materials will not be considered.
• Due to workload constraints, we are unable to follow up on missing documents or process incomplete applications.
• All candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application.

For any questions or assistance with the application process, please contact smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Funding Notes

This fully funded, four-year PhD project is offered as part of a competition within the EASTBIO BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. The opportunity is open to both UK and international applicants, although the proportion of international students recruited through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30% by UKRI BBSRC.

EASTBIO studentships provide a tax-free UKRI doctoral stipend (estimated at £22,437 for the 2027/28 academic year), a training grant of £5,000 per year for the first three years (and £1,500 in the fourth year), and a travel and conference allowance of £230 per year.

Please note that EASTBIO is unable to fund visa costs or associated healthcare surcharges for international students.