Characterising the molecular composition of damaged and restored peatlands by molecular tagging and NMR spectroscopy.

The project will begin with a comprehensive literature review of the current
peat bog restoration methods, existing NMR experiments for characterisation of soil organic
matter, as well as a review of the existing molecular tagging methodology and selection of new
molecular tagging approaches. The practical work will initially involve testing the existing and
new tagging approaches on model mixtures, before applying the developed protocols to peat
organic matter. The tagged peat organic matter will then be characterised using existing and
newly developed multidimensional NMR experiments.
During this studentship we are aiming to characterise the organic matter from peat samples
taken from Flow Country, world's biggest blanket bog site. This is a collaborative effort
involving researchers from Edinburgh as well as seven other institutions across Scotland. This
broad research program offers ample opportunities for professional development in the area of
chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, and environmental analytical chemistry.