PhD Studentship: Manipulating Meiotic Crossover Control in Wheat
Investigate meiotic recombination in wheat to accelerate climate-resilient crop breeding.
Best for:Best for bioscience graduates with a strong background in genetics or plant sciences seeking to apply cell biology to food security.
Overview
The John Innes Centre at the University of East Anglia offers a fully funded four-year PhD studentship focusing on meiotic crossover control in wheat. The project combines fundamental meiotic cell biology with applied wheat genetics to overcome genomic bottlenecks that limit crop breeding for climate resilience. The successful candidate will utilize TILLING mutant alleles, super-resolution microscopy, genomics, and high-throughput pollen-typing assays within an interdisciplinary research group. This position provides comprehensive professional training, including a three-month professional internship placement.
What you'll do
- Investigate meiotic crossover distribution using TILLING mutant alleles and genomic techniques
- Mine natural allelic variation in meiotic genes using the JIC Watkins wheat landrace collection
- Develop a high-throughput pollen-typing assay to measure direct recombination frequency in wheat gametes
- Conduct genome-wide association studies across panels to identify novel loci for recombination control
- Utilize super-resolution microscopy and meiotic cytology to analyze chromosomal behavior
Requirements
Degree required: Bachelors (Honours) 2:1 or UK equivalence in genetics, plant sciences, or a related bioscience discipline
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6 in each category
Instruction: English
- Background in genetics, plant sciences, or related biosciences
- Academic record meeting a UK 2:1 honours degree equivalence
- Familiarity with molecular genetics or cellular biology principles
- Aptitude for quantitative statistical methods and data analysis
- Open to all nationalities meeting standard UK doctoral training admission criteria
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-30
Applicants must submit their application through the university postgraduate admissions portal using the designated NRPDTP templates for personal and research statements. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews following application review.
- CV
- Cover letter
- Personal statement
- Research statement
- Academic transcripts
- Reference letters
Contact
Chris Morgan· Primary Supervisor
Create a free profile to unlock your personal match score, the full requirements, funding details and how to apply — in English or Persian.