Please bear with me as I build my website. Many sections are still incomplete, but I'm working on it daily.

Check back regularly for updates and, if you have any questions please contact me using the button below.

I'm currently on fieldwork in the South Atlantic Ocean. Follow our journey by clicking the buttons below.

Arianwen Herbert

PhD student and science communicator

DPhil (PhD) student in Interdisciplinary Bioscience at the University of Oxford, researching the evolution and adaptation of marine picoeukaryotes and their role in carbon fixation and the climate cycle. These are phytoplankton ~ microscopic algae that are essential to maintaining the balance of our marine ecosystem and that play a significant role in the carbon cycle. We're looking at how they function and thrive and how this is impacted by our changing climate.

Freelance video reporter and producer for New Scientist.

Advocate for accessible science communication on my social media platform @scienceformymum

Oxford BBSRC Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
Funded by the UKRI/St John's College scholarship
Jointly supervised by the University of Oxford departments of Earth Sciences and Biology, and by the Puxty lab at the University of Warwick
Master of Bioscience (MBio) in Biochemistry (first class with honours) from the University of Warwick.

I consider it a responsibility and a privilege to talk about science in a way that broadens awareness and improves understanding. Alongside my PhD I am a freelance video reporter and producer for New Scientist, reporting on a range of topics, including my own research.

I can be found on Instagram and Tiktok @scienceformymum, my broader platform for sharing my experience of navigating undergrad and PhD study, fieldwork and scientific research, which I do through blogs and day in the life video diaries. I participate in a range of outreach activities and, in both, aim to share my knowledge and inspire young and aspiring scientists.

Research

Lab and field-based research

Undergrad research: an investigation of a potential CRISPR/Cas system in a marine cyanobacterium

URSS-funded project: an investigation a hypothetical toxin-antitoxin system in phage T4 tRNA-encoding region

Masters dissertation: an investigation of the E.coli anti-phage immune landscape, specifically the role of prophages in mediating bacterial anti-phage resistance

Drawn to the role microscopic life play in our natural world, in particular the ecology of marine microbial communities, my PhD is an investigation of the evolution and adaptation of marine phytoplankton and their role in carbon fixation and the climate cycle.

Since embarking on my PhD in October 2023 I have taken part in two fieldwork expeditions aboard the RRS James Cook.

2024 BIO-Carbon II (JC269): examining the biological influence on future ocean storage of carbon in the subpolar North Atlantic
2025 CarTRidge (JC275): investigating enhanced carbon export driven by internal tides over the mid-Atlantic ridge.

The sections below provide additional information on each project, including an overview of BIO-Carbon II, a fieldwork diary of the ongoing CarTRidge expedition and, on @scienceformymum, lots of behind the scenes snippets about preparing for and carrying out science in the lab and at sea.

To learn more, click on the buttons below.

Research

DPhil (PhD) Research

My DPhil research focuses on the evolution and adaptation of eukaryotic picoeukaryotes and their role in carbon fixation and the climate cycle.

Expedition

CarTRidge expedition JC275

Between February and April 2025 I will join the CarTRidge expedition, seeking to understand the influence of mid-ocean ridges on carbon export. Click here to read my fieldwork diaries.

Fieldwork Diaries

Expedition

BIO-Carbon expedition JC269

Expedition JC269 2024, joined as part of the NERC-funded BIO-Carbon programme, to understand the role of biology in future ocean carbon storage

Research

Master's Project

Master's research: Time-resolved transcriptomics and In Vivo testing reveal anti-phage function of E. coli P2-like prophage.

Experience

Other Research Projects

Information on other research projects including my undergraduate project, undergraduate studentship, previous internships and placements.

Recognition

Awards and Accolades

Recognition and prizes for academic achievement and contribution to public engagement in science and research.

Scicomm

Science Communication and Outreach

Accessible science communication lies at the heart of everything I do. As scientists I believe we have a duty to translate our work into something that can be understood by all. In promoting a better understanding of our work I hope to inspire people to take an interest in our world which will hopefully empower them to take ownership and action. I aim, in particular, to inspire young people to take an interest in science, especially girls who are too often still led to believe it's not for them.

Scroll through the slider below and click on the photographs to find out more about my science communication and outreach efforts. To discuss any events or features I might be able to contribute to contact me here.