Development of next generation fertilisers and their interactions with the soil/plant system

Graduate researcher profile: Sibel Yildirim

I have always been interested in interdisciplinary and innovative scientific topics, and so chose to study Biomedicinal Chemistry for my Undergraduate and Masters degrees at Johannes Gutenberg Uni, Germany.

During my time as a student, I have learnt that all ubiquitous environmental topics and problems cannot be explained with the knowledge of one specific scientific subject, but rather through the marriage of multiple related scientific disciplines. My PhD, therefore, is focused on the development of next-generation fertilisers and their interactions with the soil/plant system.

As a chemist, the JUMPA Joint PhD program gives me not only the chance to maintain and extend my chemical expertise but also introduces me to new fields of study, such as agricultural science.

During my candidature, I will have the opportunity to spend time at both the University of Melbourne (UoM) in Australia and the Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) in Germany. At UoM, I aim to synthesise chemical inhibitors to increase nitrogen uptake in plants and improve both their growth profile and beneficial use. At FZJ I will have the chance to gain experience with innovative instruments to perform high-end agricultural experiments, and to further explore my inhibitor’s effect on plants.

Contact: sibel.yildirim@unimelb.edu.au

Supervision team

• The University of Melbourne: Professor Ute Roessner, Professor Uta Wille
• Forschungszentrum Jülich: Professor Michelle Watt