Dr Julia Lehman

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Research in the Lehman group spans atmospheric chemistry through to astrochemistry, including interest in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from plants and trees. Underpinning all of these research interests, however, is the driver to have a detailed chemical understanding on the chemistry occurring in various environments and the drivers that control the existence (i.e. formation or breakdown) of specific chemicals. The Lehman group have expertise in gas phase chemistry, including spectroscopic or spectrometric methods in identifying and quantifying small (trace) amounts of chemicals.

Fun fact: The research interest in VOC emissions from plants actually stems from Dr Lehman's first ever research experience as an undergraduate student back in the USA, where she was part of a larger scale research project in understanding the differences in plant phenolic acid compounds in sun and shade environments and in response to herbivory, leading to a publication in Botany (https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/B10-072).

Research Groups

School of Chemistry

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Student-centred, guiding, technique-oriented, goal-driven, organised.

Provision of Training

Your training will be supervised predominantly by me, and supported further by experienced postdocs / PhD students. There is a mix of direct training and independence, with input from the PhD student.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I like to be kept up to date and will meet regularly with the research group as a whole and with individuals. I will set clear expectations of progress with your input on goals.

Communication

The group has a Microsoft Teams chat for regular scientific communication, and there is a social WhatsApp group chat as well. I expect you to manage your work/life balance, but I am happy to chat through any issues impacting your ability to meet your potential or our expectations of your progress.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per fortnight. These meetings will be face-to-face. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 2 weeks' notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5,000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Biogenic volatile organic compounds as a non-invasive route to monitoring plant stress

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Biogenic volatile organic compounds as a non-invasive route to monitoring plant stress

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Florian Busch

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Plant and Crop Science)

Project Outline

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are abundant chemicals that are emitted by organisms in all terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The chemical composition of plant-emitted BVOCs and their abundance can carry information about a plants' physiological status and the stresses to which they have been subjected. Biogenic stressors can be in the form of herbivory, pathogen attack, or environmental extremes (such as heat stress, drought or frost). Anthropogenic stressors could be high pollution, or extreme weather caused by climate change. Even taking a leaf cutting, pulling tomatoes from the vine, or cutting the grass in your garden results in increased BVOC emissions! However, the profile of those emissions – as in, what specific chemicals are actually released into the air – can change depending on the stress the plant experiences. In this PhD project, you will work with the Lehman group and collaborators in Biosciences to use a new technology (frequency comb laser spectroscopy) to detect and monitor VOCs in order to establish a VOC ‘fingerprint’ for plants experiencing stress, such as infection. Machine learning and statistical analysis of healthy versus stressed plant BVOC emission profiles will aid in determining the relative health of the plant and potentially linking the emission profile to a specific plant stressor.

APPLY HERE