Mitchell Liddick's thesis research examines microplastics
Mitchell Liddick presented his thesis proposal at the weekly BAHS seminar series. His proposed masters thesis research is on "Using mesocosms to investigate the effects of PVC microplastics on stream biofilms." His work examines the global "plastic problem" and specifically investigates the effects of increasing concentrations of PVC microplastics on the structure and function of stream biofilm communities. He will specifically examine effects of microplastics on the relative abundance of taxa, biomass, nutrient uptake, metabolism, and photosynthetic potential of biofilms. Mitchell's thesis advisor is Dr. Steven Rier. Drs. Thomas Klinger and Lauri Green serve on his thesis committee. Mitchell earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Bloomsburg University and is a graduate assistant in the department.