The climate crisis is accelerating the need to initiate a switch to a more sustainable circular bioeconomy. A focus of research in recent years has been on harnessing the chemical potential of cellulose and chitin, two of the most abundant polysaccharides found on Earth, for biofuels and value-added chemicals. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), discovered just over a decade ago, are Carbohydrate Active enzymes (CAZymes) that cleave glycosidic bonds through oxidation. In 2018 the first family of LPMOs were discovered in algae. The physiological roles of enzymes in these organisms remain enigmatic. The successful student will contribute to ongoing research on Chlamydomonas (a model unicellular green alga) LPMOs for future publication. Techniques will predominantly involve heterologous protein expression and purification, with screening performed through MALDI-ToF. Depending on the interest of the student, there will also be the opportunity to explore the physiology of Chlamydomonas in relation to cellulose and chitin degradation. Depending on progress, the student may also work on LPMOs belonging to new and uncharacterised families from diverse algal origins. Students will need to find their own accommodation and be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York in September 2025.