Cohort 6

Samuel Rattray

Project Title:

Investigating Synthetic Textile and Plastic Biodegradation

Supervisory Team:

Iain McAuthuer (Primary – Northumbria University)

Lynsay Blake (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ian Hand (Newcastle University)

Bio:

My greatest passion is the stewardship of our environment, the UK produced 191.2 million tonnes of waste in 2020 alone. While nature has the capacity to adapt to our waste production, it can only do so through our stewardship. In my bachelor’s I developed theoretical understandings of foundational molecular interactions that dictate life, then in my master’s I learned the technical skills to observe, analyse and directly edit the genetic sequence of bacteria for a desired effect. I hope to utilize these aspects in a career of using microbes to tackle different environmental issues relating to waste. I adopt this passion on a macro scale too, often volunteering in community cleans and maintenance of green spaces which earned me the John Carlin community award. An additional passion of mine is engaging in outreach opportunities that encourage people from disadvantaged backgrounds to join STEM fields, particularly those from low-income backgrounds such as myself.

Project overview:

Biodegradable waste is set to no longer be landfilled by 2028, leaving ‘non-biodegradable’ waste like plastics and plastic based textiles which are presumed to have no interaction with landfill microorganisms. Yet Plastic degrading microbes have been identified in landfills globally. Additionally, the mechanical forces within landfills deteriorate plastics into microplastics which can facilitate their biodegradation into greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide. My research will characterise the microbiome of UK landfills, identify plastic degrading microbes and microplastics present, and then analysing their interactions in lab-based assays.

Research Questions:

What is the phylogenetic composition of UK landfill microbiota?

Are there plastic degrading microbes within UK landfills?

What are the mechanisms of the biodegradation of landfilled plastics?

How does this biodegradation of plastics affect the greenhouse gas emissions of the waste management sector?

Education:

MRes Molecular Medicine – Newcastle University, 2023 – 2024

BSc Biosciences – Northumbria University, 2020 - 2023

Skills:

Linux, Microscopy, Communication

Hobbies:

Nature walks, Terrariums, Board games