About
Hello! Nice to meet you! I'm Pei-Tzu Kao. I grew up in Taiwan, a beautiful island with globally ranked no.1 terrestrial biomes (Yale University EPI) and a high population density. Food production and environmental conservation are pillars of the development of my home country.
I have a multidisciplinary study background :a BSc. in agronomy, a MSc. in agricultural chemistry and a PhD. of geology. The reason behind this learning pathway is the exploration for important issues regarding sustainable agriculture and the related sciences. I started from studying agronomy and realized that soil is almost the most critical but most neglected part in agricultural production. To jump deeper into soil science, I chose to study soil chemistry for my MSc. After that, I traveled to Rothamsted Research, one of the leading agricultural institutes in the UK, to complete my PhD degree. I investigathed micronutrient flux in grazing pasture systems, and have found quite a lot of interesting facts, allowing me to published over 4 research papers from my PhD study. Now after having learnt from so many experts around the world, I am back to my hometown and started my own lab to continue the research work.
My lab is still at the early stage of development with a little shortage of human power. So please be patient with the slow update of the website! You are welcomed to follow me on ResearchGate (the green bottom below) for the instant update of my research achievement.
ORCID:0000-0002-1380-7781

Education

2018 - 2022 May
Ph.D in Geology
University of Bristol (UK) and Rothamsted Research
Thesis title: The fate of micronutrients in excreta of sheep fed with organic/inorganic mineral supplements in a pasture system
2016 - 2018
M.S. in Soil Chemistry
National Taiwan University
2012 - 2016
B.S. in Agronomy
National Taiwan University
Work experience
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Research
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Assistant professor (August 2023 onwards)
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Postdoctoral Researcher (May 2022-March 2023)
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PhD studentship at Rothamsted Research of the United Kingdom (Sept 2018- Sept 2021)
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Cooperative research work with the Executive Yuan of Taiwan 執行行政院農業委員會與經濟部水利署北區水資源局合作計畫 (Jan 2016 – Dec 2016)
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Translating work
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Cooperative translating work with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan, and finished the translation of four articles from English to Chinese (協助台灣科技部國家實驗研究院科技政策研究與資訊中心科技發展觀測平台工作小組進行中翻英工作四篇)
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Outreach Activity
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Short video making for British Science Week (Mar 2021) 協助英國科學週影片製作,帶領英國高中生認識科學研究工作
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Teaching
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Soil Science (Lab) Teaching Assistant | National Taiwan University (2017)
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Soil Chemistry (Lab) Teaching Assistant | National Taiwan University (2016)
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Others
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Secretary General | Chinese Society of Soil and Fertilizer Sciences (2024-2026)
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PhD student representative | North Wyke -Rothamsted Research (2021)
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Awards, Scholarships and Grants
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Full PhD scholarship offered by Alltech 獲得Alltech公司贊助全額英國博士學位研究獎學金
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Awards
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Academic Research Award | CSSFS (2023)
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Best multi-media presentation at annual | Ph.D. symposium of Rothamsted Research (2021) 英國洛桑農業研究所年度博士學生發表最佳多媒體報告獎
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Achievement Exhibition | Annual Conference of the Chinese Society of Soil and Fertilizer Sciences (CSSFS) (2017) 中華土壤肥料學會研討會攤位設置獲得優良獎
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Ph.D. thesis
University of Bristol & Rothamsted Research
Supervisors: Prof. Michael R.F. Lee, Dr. Heather L. Buss and Prof. Steve McGrath

M.S. thesis
National Taiwan University
Supervisor: Prof. Shan-Li Wang (王尚禮 教授)
Title: Utilizing reservoir sediment as an alternative nursery substrate of rice seedlings (利用水庫淤泥作為水稻育秧替代介質)
Publications
2020
Review article | Advances in Agronomy
Posters
British Society of Animal Science | April 2020
British Society of Animal Science | April 2020
2021
Research article | Animal-science proceedings
2023
Research article | Plant and Soil
Kao, P.-T., Buss, H.L., McGrath, S.P. et al. The uptake of selenium by perennial ryegrass in soils of different organic matter contents receiving sheep excreta. Plant Soil 486, 639–659 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-05898-8
Research article | Scientific Reports
Kao, P.-T., Fleming, H., Warren, H. et al. The impact of feeding supplemental minerals to sheep on the return of micronutrients to pasture via urine and faeces. Sci Rep 13, 2747 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29717-3
2024
Research article | Scientific Reports
Kao, P.-T., McGrath, S., Buss, H. et al. The role of ruminant urine and faeces in the recycling of nutrients by forages. Sci Rep 14, 16007 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-66648-z
Conference Attendance & Publications
Poster presentation
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British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), 2020: (1) 'A preliminary investigation to determine if selenium loss through exhalation in sheep supplemented with selenium yeast at NRC requirement could be quantified using a gas bag technique.' & (2) 'Assessing mineral provision from drinking water for nutrition studies: Supply of zinc from galvanized troughs.'
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International Conference of the Eastern and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies (ESAFS), 2017: 'Utilizing reservoir sediments amended with organic matter as an alternative tray nursery substrate for rice seedlings.'
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Annual Conference of the Chinese Society of Soil and Fertilizer Sciences (CSSFS), 2017: 'Utilizing reservoir sediments amended with organic matter as an alternative tray nursery substrate for rice seedlings.'
Oral presentation
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World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS), 2022: 'Key factors to micronutrient upcycling by grass in an arable/grassland soil applied with urine/faeces of sheep given organic/inorganic forms of mineral supplement '
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PhD student symposium of Rothamsted Research (15 minute talk), 2022: 'Factors influencing micronutrient flux in a pasture system with sheep given organic/inorganic forms of mineral supplement.'
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British Society of Animal Science (BSAS), 2021: 'Impact of supplementation dose and form on micronutrient partitioning and composition in urine and faeces of sheep'
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PhD student symposium of Rothamsted Research (5 minute talk), 2021: 'Influence of supplement source (organic vs. inorganic) of selenium, copper, zinc and manganese on micronutrient excretion and partitioning between urine and faeces in sheep.'