Astrobiology and Habitats for Life

Award Award	Duration Duration	Start dates Start dates	Application Application
PhD (MPhil also available) PhD (MPhil also available)	Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years	February and October February and October	January to April January to April

Working closely with members of the AstrobiologyOU research area, we use a variety of experimental techniques, including molecular biology, mineralogy and geochemistry, and orbital flight experiments, to understand the way in which microorganisms persist in extreme environments and how this could be applied to environments elsewhere. This includes investigating how microorganisms interact with the lithosphere to gain energy and nutrients, whether they leave behind biosignatures that could be used for life detection, and survivability of such biosignatures after impact shock events.

Projects also use theoretical and simulation methods to quantify the conditions on other planetary bodies and their potential to support life, past and present. Our work is fundamental for the understanding of the environmental conditions in other planetary environments that can inform future life detection missions, and crucial for understanding the data (or samples) returned by such missions.

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Projects involve laboratory planetary simulation facilities including UV and near vacuum, and hypervelocity impact as well as molecular, aerobic and anaerobic microbiology laboratory facilities. Projects apply a range of geochemical and microbiological analytical techniques.

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £5,238 per year Full-time: £5,238 per year	Full-time: £17,175 per year Full-time: £17,175 per year
Part-time: £2,619 per year Part-time: £2,619 per year	Part-time: £8,588 per year Part-time: £8,588 per year

Our research students are funded via many sources, including: industry, Doctoral Training Partnerships, the EU, self-funding, and faculty funded studentships.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

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