SNIFF (Smell-based Novel Investigation for Fungal Findings)

Project ID: 2531ad1485

(You will need this ID for your application)

UCL Lead department: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER)

Project Summary:

PhD Opportunity in Environmental Science: SNIFF (Smell-based Novel Investigation for Fungal Findings)

Indoor mould is a serious but often undetected issue in UK housing, impacting structural integrity, indoor air quality, and resident health.

Official statistics on mould prevalence likely underestimate the problem, especially in rented and social housing. This project seeks to address this gap by developing an innovative, smell-based approach for detecting and quantifying indoor mould.

Project Overview

• Explore mould species in UK homes. Identify the moisture needs and growth patterns of mould species commonly found indoors, from moisture-rich to dry environments. • Understand impact of indoor environments. Study how factors like temperature, humidity, and ventilation influence mould growth and the release of mVOCs, which create distinct odours associated with mould. • Develop an olfactory detection method. Pioneer a non-invasive, smell-based approach to detect mould, centred on identifying mVOCs with a ‘damp’ odour as early indicators of mould presence, using advanced instrumental and perceptual odour analysis techniques. • Conduct real-world testing and validation. Conduct trials in homes and historic buildings with known mould contamination, leveraging advanced analytical methods to link specific mVOC odours to mould.

This research project will suit a motivated and interdisciplinary-minded candidate with a strong background in environmental science, chemistry, biology or a related field to undertake this pioneering research. The ideal candidate will have experience or strong interest in indoor environmental quality, microbial ecology, or analytical techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and olfactometry.

Competence in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing is essential. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team are highly valued, as are a commitment to tackling real-world environmental health challenges in line with EPSRC’s priority areas.