PhD Studentship: Hidden Pest-Pathogen Alliances: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Aphid-Fungal Cooperation on Wheat SCI3070

Studentship Information Supervisor: Prof Rumiana Ray (University of Nottingham) Secondary Supervisor: Dr Hadrien Peyret (University of Nottingham), Dr Dong-Hyun Kim (University of Nottingham), Prof Toby Bruce (Keele University) Subject Area: Plant Health, Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience Research Title: Hidden Pest-Pathogen Alliances: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Aphid-Fungal Cooperation on Wheat Research Description Wheat underpins global food security, providing a major source of...

Opportunity details

Studentship Information Supervisor: Prof Rumiana Ray (University of Nottingham) Secondary Supervisor: Dr Hadrien Peyret (University of Nottingham), Dr Dong-Hyun Kim (University of Nottingham), Prof Toby Bruce (Keele University) Subject Area: Plant Health, Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience Research Title: Hidden Pest-Pathogen Alliances: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Aphid-Fungal Cooperation on Wheat Research Description Wheat underpins global food security, providing a major source of calories for both human consumption and animal feed. However, crop productivity is increasingly threatened by plant diseases, insect pests, climate change, and growing pressure to reduce chemical inputs. Understanding how multiple biological threats interact within crops represents one of the major challenges facing sustainable agriculture. Plant pathogens and insect herbivores are typically studied in isolation, despite sharing the same host and frequently occurring together in agricultural systems. Emerging evidence suggests that interactions between pests and pathogens can profoundly alter plant health, disease development, and crop productivity. However, the ecological and molecular mechanisms underpinning these interactions remain poorly understood. This fully funded PhD studentship, supported by leading UK agricultural charities, will investigate interactions between the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), and the English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae), one of the most economically important pests of cereal crops. FHB causes substantial losses through yield reduction and contamination of grain with harmful mycotoxins, while aphids impact crop performance through direct feeding damage and modification of pl...

Eligibility

Applicant Qualification Requirements 1st, 2:1 or MSc degree in Plant science, Agriculture, Microbiology, Ecology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular biology, or related biological sciences How to Apply To apply, please submit a CV and a brief statement (maximum two pages) outlining your academic background, research interests, relevant experience, and motivation for undertaking this PhD project to Prof Rumiana Ray - rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk Informal Enquiries by prospective applicants are encouraged.

Requirements

Applicant Qualification Requirements 1st, 2:1 or MSc degree in Plant science, Agriculture, Microbiology, Ecology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular biology, or related biological sciences How to Apply To apply, please submit a CV and a brief statement (maximum two pages) outlining your academic background, research interests, relevant experience, and motivation for undertaking this PhD project to Prof Rumiana Ray - rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk Informal Enquiries by prospective applicants are encouraged.

Funding and benefits

Funding eligibility: UK Students. Funding amount: Payment of tuition fees and a tax-free stipend based on current BBSRC rates.. Duration of Award: 48 months Terms and Conditions This research studentship is only available to UK citizens and includes payment of tuition fees and a tax-free stipend based on current BBSRC rates. Applicant Qualification Requirements 1st, 2:1 or MSc degree in Plant science, Agriculture, Microbiology, Ecology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular biology, or related biological sciences How to Apply To apply, please submit a CV and a brief statement (maximum two pages) outlining your academic background, research interests, relevant experience, and motivation for undertaking this PhD project to Prof Rumiana Ray - rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk Informal Enquiries by prospective applicants are encouraged. Please contact Prof Rumiana Ray for an informal discussion: Email: rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk. When making an enquiry, please attach a current CV and include a brief summary of your research interests and academic background.

Required documents

CV

How to apply

To apply, please submit a CV and a brief statement (maximum two pages) outlining your academic background, research interests, relevant experience, and motivation for undertaking this PhD project to Prof Rumiana Ray - rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk Informal Enquiries by prospective applicants are encouraged. Please contact Prof Rumiana Ray for an informal discussion: Email: rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk. When making an enquiry, please attach a current CV and include a brief summary of your research interests and academic background.

Open the official application information

Verify the deadline and final conditions on the official provider page before submitting an application.