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Matt McCormack

@mattmccormack1.bsky.social

PhD student at the University of Bristol and UKCEH. Researching the effect of DOM on freshwater systems Durham University Biosciences graduate

Posts Replies Media

Matt McCormack @mattmccormack1.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Brilliant 6 weeks of fieldwork! I've run 3 stable isotope dosing experiments to explore the role of river microbes in the processing of dissolved organic matter. Massive thank you to the rest of the @ercrefresh.bsky.social team for their support! I can't wait to share some of the results soon!

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Reposted by Matt McCormack

Penny Johnes @pennyjohnes.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Great weather for fieldwork this week with @mgenner.bsky.social and two of our PhD students this week: @mattmccormack1.bsky.social on our @ercrefresh.bsky.social programme, and Francesca Southon on our @bristolwater.bsky.social WINEP project investigating nutrient pollution in Blagdon Lake SSSI. 🧪

Matt and Penny collecting water samples at the 48 hr time point, for extraction to determine the bacterioplankton community composition, and the rate of 13C15N uptake of DOM compounds as a nutrient resource.

The ERC REFRESH team (Martin Genner, Gavin Gouws, Penny Johnes) supporting Matt with the set-up of his third isotope dosing experiment, this time on a tributary of the River Barle on Exmoor.

The Bristol Water project team, comprising Profs Penny Johnes (not shown) and Martin Genner, together with Dr Zisen Liu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute for Hydrobiology in Wuhan (Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Bristol) supporting Francesca with the first plant survey of Blagdon Lake SSSI.

Francesca with a plant sample. A diverse community was mapped, but in most locations was dominated by Stuckenia pectinata (syn. Potamogeton pectinatus), Ceratophyllum demersum, Elodea nuttallii, and a range of charophytes including C. Hispida, C. vulgaris and also Nitella obtusa.

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Reposted by Matt McCormack

Penny Johnes @pennyjohnes.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

As the main team write the results from our Year 1 experiments our @ercrefresh.bsky.social PhD students have started work in the field this week: Shanshan Zhang @bangoruniversity.bsky.social and @mattmccormack1.bsky.social! Thanks to Dr Emily Cooledge and our omics PDRA Gavin Gouws for their help! 🧪

Matt McCormack (L) with Dr Gavin Gouws (R) at the end of the first day installing equipment for Matt's first isotope dosing experiment, investigating the bioavailability and uptake of DOM by bacterioplankton and biofilms.

Matt and Prof Martin Genner, collecting and extracting fine sediment to add to each mesocosm.

Shanshan in the field collecting water samples for her 14C radioisotope dosing experiments at Bangor University.

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Matt McCormack @mattmccormack1.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Excited to start my PhD at @bristoluni.bsky.social as part of the @ercrefresh.bsky.social project under Penny Johnes, Dan Read (UKCEH) and Martin Genner! I'll be exploring how key microorganisms utilise and transform dissolved organic matter. Looking forward to starting with the team next week!

Helping the team with mesocosm dosing experiments this summer.

Native aquatic snails added to mesocosms to investigate the uptake of DOM.

Learning about the experimental setup from James McDonald.

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