A four-year BBSRC funded Industrial-CASE PhD studentship funded via the White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP is available for entry in October 2020 in an exciting collaboration between researchers at the University of Sheffield and Syngenta, Jealotts Hill International Research Centre. You will join a highly interdisciplinary team lead by Dr Christian Voigt alongside Professor Jamie Hobbs at Sheffield and Samantha Hall at Jealotts Hill.
Septoria leaf blotch on wheat is caused by Zymoseptoria tritici, an ascomycete filamentous fungus, which is the most devastating foliar cereal disease affecting modern agriculture globally with losses of up to 50% reported. Identifying new targets for fungicide development is critical as rising resistance to existing fungicides deteriorate Z. tritici control.
The aim of the project INFUCE is to establish biochemical assays based on existing preliminary protein data to improve understanding of the mechanisms of fungal cell wall biosynthesis. The project will incorporate transformative technologies that enable integration of physical and life sciences approaches in fungal cell wall tracking, mainly through development of STORMForce applications that combine methods for atomic force microscopy (AFM) and super-resolution optics (STORM) in molecular scale imaging and correlative optical microscopy. The data generated will then be extended to translation of biochemical assays for industrial requirements using research and test facilities both in Sheffield and at the Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre in Bracknell, UK.
The project will provide a broad training in biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, advanced imaging and data processing and will be hosted in interdisciplinary state-of-the-art facilities in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Department of Physics and Astromony and The Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility in Sheffield. The student will also spend time (at least 3 months) with the industrial partner Syngenta at the Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre during the studentship period. In addition, the student will be part of the White Rose BBSRC DTP which unites the three leading research universities in Yorkshire, providing extensive tailored training for careers in bioscience
For further information on the host labs see:
Voigt lab:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/aps/staff-and-students/acadstaff/voigt Hobbs lab:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/physics/people/academic/jamie-hobbs Jealott’s Hill:
https://www.syngenta.co.uk/jealotts-hill Informal enquiries to:
[email protected]
Funding Notes
- preferred start date October 2020
- a tax-free stipend at the standard Research Council rate (~£15,009, to be confirmed for 2020) for 4 years
- tuition fees at the UK/EU rate for 4 years.
- research and industry placement costs
At least a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent is required.
Studentships are available to UK and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements.
