Heriot-Watt University is a research-led university specialising in science and engineering, business and management, languages and design. Our research covers the full spectrum from fundamental and theoretical studies, through research of immediate relevance to industry and commerce, to practice-based studies.
Heriot-Watt University is renowned for its leadership on critical global issues and is recognised throughout the world for the quality of its teaching and applied research capability. The School of Life Sciences is unique in providing research across disciplines including biotechnology, food science, climate change, environmental science, health. Key areas of research include environmental biology, largely marine-based and biotechnology, centred on cell models, micro-organisms and plants.
The School offers a research-orientated environment with the necessary large-scale laboratory infrastructure to carry out inter-disciplinary ecotoxicological studies with frequent collaboration between different members of staff, both within the school and beyond. The ecotoxicology research team includes a multi-disciplinary research group of just under 20 people working on the effects of nanomaterials and other chemicals on environmental models. The main focus of work are aquatic organisms, from freshwaters, marine systems, as well as microorganisms, including nematodes.
The group has been working in this area for over 8 years and has attracted funding from national and international sources worldwide (Europe, Saudi Arabia, Thailand), including research councils, industry and government.