Edvard Glücksman
D.Phil. Student
Autobiography
I began my studies by obtaining a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Psychology at McGill University, Canada. Fuelled by a school-acquired interest in science, I subsequently entered biology by completing a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, before coming to Oxford for a one-year MSc (Integrative Biosciences) offered by the Department of Zoology.
In October, 2007, I started a NERC-funded D.Phil. degree supervised by Professor Tom Cavalier-Smith, PhD, FRS, investigating the diversity and ecology of the Apusozoa alongside postdoctoral researcher, Dr Elizabeth Snell.
Research activities
I use molecular techniques to investigate the diversity of the recently discovered group of flagellated protozoa called the Apusozoa. Although members of the Apusozoan group are found ubiquitously in marine, freshwater, and soil environments, little work has been done to better understand the precise nature of their diversity and the environmental impact of their predation on bacteria.
One the one hand, my work involves culturing, isolating, and DNA sequencing of organisms from environmental samples. On the other, I use the obtained sequences to design group-specific primers (molecular probes) to explore Apusozoan ecology and genetic diversity in environmental DNA extracted from a range of environments across the planet.
Not excluding the possibility of a future career in research, I hope to one-day merge my biological experience with my background in the social sciences, working within environmental management or perhaps towards advancing the public understanding of science.
M.Sc. Theses
“Biogeography as a framework for modeling the impact of climate change on species distributions in Europe”. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. Supervised by Dr Pamela Berry.
“Murder in the Microcosm: The effect of protist grazing on bacterial communities”. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. Supervised by Dr David Bass.