High Throughput micro X-ray Computed Tomography Imaging of Root-Soil Interactions

The European Research Council (ERC) and University of Nottingham are co-funding a total of 6 PhD studentships as part of the ERC FUTUREROOTS project awarded to a multidisciplinary team of researchers based at the Centre for Plant Integrative Biology (CPIB; www.cpib.ac.uk) led by Professor Malcolm Bennett. A brief background to the ERC FUTUREROOTS project and details about each PhD project are attached. Further details about the ERC FUTUREROOTS project can be found at http://www.futureroots.eu.

Applications are invited, to include a CV and cover letter describing your experience and suitability for which PhD position, and should be emailed to Professor Malcolm Bennett’s secretary Jennifer Dewick ([Email Address Removed] ). Vacancies will remain open until filled and we would therefore suggest immediate application.

Outline: This ambitious project seeks to develop a high-throughput X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) phenotyping platform capable of scanning every stage of wheat root development grown in large soil cores. X-ray Computed Tomography (μCT) will be used to visualise roots non-invasively in natural soil systems. A new facility being developed at Nottingham will open in the summer of 2013 that will house state of the art CT imaging equipment linked to a controlled environment unit for growing plants.

Working closely with dedicated researchers in this area, in the first part of the project the student will seek to address several crucial technological questions associated with the development of the new platform including what is the optimum sample size for quantifying plant root systems; what are the preferential X-ray scanning parameters for obtaining the highest quality images and what impact do soil physical properties such as soil water content have on the subsequent imaging efforts. The second part of the project will involved utilising the protocols developed in part one to address several biological questions associated with understanding the complex interactions with roots and soil specifically linked to nitrogen and water uptake in wheat.

Candidates should have a good first degree (preferably at the level of a first-class degree in the UK context), and/or a suitable MSc, in soil science, biology or a related discipline such as engineering or physics, and preferably have CT knowledge or experience. Informal enquiries may be addressed to: Sacha Mooney ([Email Address Removed])