UNSW Honours Opportunity! - Exploring the overlooked fungal symbionts of seaweeds

An Honours project at UNSW Sydney is now available for student interested in exploring the diversity and potential roles of fungi associated with seaweeds! See below for details:

Synopsis

Fungi are commonly found in the marine environment, but little is known about their diversity and functional roles. Existing research has shown that fungi consistently form associations with seaweeds and can dictate the health of their seaweed hosts. However, very few species of marine fungi have been characterised overall, and classification is reliant on obtaining physical cultures.

Aims

The aim of this project is to better understand the diversity and potential role of seaweed-associated fungi. Some areas of interest include characterising novel strains, investigating biochemical compound production, and exploring ecological interactions between seaweeds and fungal symbionts.

Student benefits

In this project, you will learn how to develop you own laboratory-based study and gain skills such as culturing and microscopy. You will also have the opportunity to participate in fieldwork and learn bioinformatics skills. This project can be flexible and would benefit a student who is curious about marine biodiversity and enjoys learning laboratory skills.

This project is based at the University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia) in the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Start date: Term 1 2027 (February)

Application deadline: ~ November 2026

For more information please email:

Angela Li (PhD candidate) a.angelali@unsw.edu.au 

Prof. Suhelen Egan (Supervisor) s.egan@unsw.edu.au