PhD Studentship: Balancing Wheat Rust Resilience and Soil Microbial Diversity
Investigate how disease-susceptibility gene disruptions in wheat influence root exudation and shape the rhizosphere microbiome.
Best for:Best for graduates in biological sciences or related fields with strong interests in plant pathology, metabolomics, and environmental microbiology.
Overview
This PhD studentship explores the broader ecological implications of disrupting disease susceptibility genes in wheat to enhance resilience against rust fungi. Jointly supervised across the Saunders and Malone Labs at the John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia, the project combines field and greenhouse trials, metagenomics, metabolomics, and spatial landscape modelling. The successful candidate will conduct interdisciplinary research to evaluate how genetic modifications affect both plant pathology and beneficial soil microbial communities. Applicants are expected to bring enthusiasm for collaborative environmental microbiology and plant health research.
What you'll do
- Execute field and greenhouse experiments to characterize root microbial communities in wheat mutants.
- Apply gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) metabolomics to identify dominant metabolites involved in microbiome assembly.
- Develop and utilize spatial landscape models to determine optimal agricultural deployment strategies for mutant lines.
- Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams at the John Innes Centre and the University of Exeter.
- Analyze complex metagenomic and environmental microbiology datasets.
Requirements
Degree required: BSc or MSc in Biological Sciences or related scientific discipline
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English
Instruction: English
- Background in plant pathology, molecular biology, or environmental microbiology
- Experience with experimental design in greenhouse or field settings
- Strong analytical and data interpretation capabilities
- Ability to work effectively within an interdisciplinary research team
- Open to applicants meeting UKRI funding eligibility criteria
- Limited number of international studentships available with fee waivers
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-12-16
Submit your application through the official university postgraduate research application portal. Ensure all required supporting academic documents and references are included prior to the deadline.
- CV
- Cover letter
- Academic transcripts
- Reference letters
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