Development of a field biosensor to monitor fungal activity in situ

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This PhD project will focus on the development of a biosensor which can be used to monitor fungal growth both in large-scale laboratory tests and in field trials in order to understand how fungal biomass evolves over time and space in response to different growth strategies and environmental conditions.This PhD project is part of a larger research programme led by Dr Grainne El Mountassir (UKRI Future Leaders Fellow) which will investigate methods of engineering fungal growth to enhance the stability of soil slopes. A critical aspect in using nature-based solutions to reinforce soil slopes is the ability to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment strategy in situ. This PhD project will focus on the development of an on-the-go, low-cost sensor that can be used for the identification of key biomarkers of the presence of fungi, such as ergosterol (a sterol found in the cell membranes of fungi), chitin ((the major component of fungal cell walls) and hydrophobins (proteins produced by filamentous fungi). The key project aims are to:- Investigate and innovate a detection strategy for key fungal biomarkers using electrochemical biosensors.- Develop a prototype biosensor, characterise and validate the sensor response.- Apply the biosensor to assess the influence of different conditions on the spatial distribution of fungal growth and evolution over time.