Top of the heap

I much enjoyed the article on the award of "the country's first doctorate in composting" ("Where there's muck there's a doctorate", THES, March 19). My interest will somehow need to be conveyed to my PhD students, some six of whom have already graduated in composting starting in 1985, and the five I supervise who are also researching different aspects of composting. Perhaps there is a different interpretation of the subject north of the border?

E. Stentiford Head, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds