southampton

About

Molly is applying her marine biogeochemistry background to sensor development. Using droplet microfluidics, Molly is developing a high frequency sensor to measure ocean alkalinity in highly variable areas.
Her interdisciplinary work integrates oceanography and mechanical engineering, focusing on the design, assembly and testing of advanced titration systems. The working principle of her sensor has been successfully demonstrated, and she is now optimising the system to measure concentrations in droplets over a broad range of alkalinity.

Molly’s innovative approach includes system design using CAD, seawater testing and comprehensive data analysis. She is preparing for in situ deployments to conduct fieldwork and validate her sensor in real-world ocean conditions.

Research

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Research interests

Marine Autonomy
Sensor Development
Droplet Microfluidics
Ocean Alkalinity
Marine Carbon System

Current research

Alkalinity is the capacity of the ocean to buffer against acidification, caused by increasing atmospheric CO2 input.

An understanding of the spatial and temporal variation of carbonate chemistry is essential to predict the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and to identify vulnerable areas.

This project brings together alkalinity sensing technology from the droplet microfluidics sensor, pioneered by Adrian Nightingale, and the innovative alkalinity sensor developed by Allison Schaap at NOC.

The development phase of this work is based in the Sensor Lab at the UoS Engineering department, with testing of the initial design at the NOC.
This droplet sensor aims to address the limitations of continuous sensors, by increasing measurement frequency and accuracy over large ranges of alkalinity.

This is a brilliant opportunity to establish a novel technology, taking it from development to deployment.

This spectrophotometric sensor will have a faster sample rate, and has the potential to cover larger ranges in comparison with current manual measurements.

Biography

Molly graduated with MSci Oceanography with French, with a focus on marine biogeochemistry. Following her degree she worked on geospatial and hydrodynamic modelling as an environmental consultant. Molly then returned to the University of Southampton to pursue a PhD, where she is now combining her expertise in oceanography with mechanical engineering to develop innovative sensor technology.

In addition to her research, Molly is dedicated to education and outreach. She teaches for The Brilliant Club, a charity supporting students who are less advantaged to access competitive universities. She also supports the Oceanography undergraduate fieldcourse, teaching Benthic Habitat Mapping.

Molly is actively involved in the postgraduate community at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), where she sits on the postgraduate committee. In this role, she organises social and personal development events. She also assisted the organisation of the UK Marine Technology Postgraduate Conference, showcasing the latest advancements in research.

Molly’s work has been recognised with two poster competition awards, highlighting the significance and impact of her research.

With a passion for both research and teaching, Molly is committed to advancing our understanding of marine environments and fostering the next generation of scientists.

Prizes

Poster: Development of an in situ droplet microfluidic autonomous sensor for total alkalinity in sea water (2023)
Autonomous Droplet Microfluidic Sensor for Highly Variable Ocean Alkalinity (2024)

Miss Molly Phillips

Research interests

About

Research

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Research interests

Current research

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Biography

Prizes