PhD Studentship: Promoting microbial nitrogen cycling to improve crop nitrogen availability

Summary:

Modern agriculture relies on substantial additions of nitrogen fertilisers. Rising energy costs and downstream environmental damage, including greenhouse gas emissions, mean that to improve agricultural sustainability we need to find ways to use this resource more efficiently reducing environmental impacts. Recent work demonstrates an opportunity to use the crop plant to manipulate soil nitrogen cycling although the underlying biochemical mechanisms remain largely obscure. This exciting project aims to use stomatal mutants that vary in their preference for ammonium and nitrate update to dissect the fine scale mechanisms driving the plants manipulation of the soil community. The project will develop skills in plant and microbiological molecular biology as well as metabolomics skills required for exudate chemistry analysis. This will place the student in an enviable position to aid the development of the growing area of science exploring agricultural sustainability.

The project is a competitive studentship based at the University of Sheffield funded as part of the BBSRC DTP White Rose Studentship Network in Agri-tech / Agri-science which builds on the excellent track records of the Universities of Leeds (The Faculties of Biological Sciences and Maths and Physical Science), Sheffield (Faculty of Science) and York (Departments of Biology and Chemistry) as leading centres of research and training in molecular and cellular biosciences.

Funding Notes

Funding covers
a tax-free stipend at the standard Research Council rate (~£14-£15K, to be confirmed for 2018) for up to 4 years tuition fees at the UK/EU rate for up to 4 years.
Studentships are available to UK and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements. Students from EU countries who do not meet the residency requirements may still be eligible for a fees-only award. Further information on eligibility http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/documents/studentship-eligibility-pdf/

Requirements:

At least a 2:1 honours degree, or equivalent. There are language requirements for international students.