PhD Studentship: Investigating the Impact of Host Species and Varietal Resistance on the Evolution of Plant Viruses

Award Summary

100% Home fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance £18,622 (2023-24 UKRI rates). Additional consumable funds of £1000 pa are provided for this project.

Overview

Interested in plant virology and the impact of changes in agricultural practice on evolution of viruses? This PhD will use next generation sequencing to explore the diversity of viruses infecting cereals (wheat and barley) and grasses. Furthermore, we will explore the sequence diversity within virus populations in infected plants and how these change in response to genetically tolerant and resistant varieties.

The withdrawal of neonicotinoid insecticides has led to the re-emergence of aphids and the viruses they vector in a range of crops. To counter this, genetic resistance has been introduced into high yielding varieties to achieve control. The project seeks to explore the fundamental understanding of deploying tolerant crops on a broad scale, exploring the selection pressure this has on the evolution of the virus (e.g. barley yellow dwarf virus) and durability of resistance.

We will train students to use next generation sequencing and bioinformatics to study plant virus evolution as well associated virology and entomology techniques to enable the successful candidate to embark on a career in plant pathology, virology, molecular biology and bioinformatics in academia or industry. The partnership includes Newcastle University, Fera Science and KWS a leading provider of high-performance seeds across a range of arable crops.

Number Of Awards: 1

Start Date: 19/09/2024

Award Duration: 3 Years

Application Closing Date: 7th February 2024

Sponsor: Institute for AgriFood Research Innovations

Supervisors

Neil Boonham  (Newcastle), Adrian Fox (Fera Science Ltd), John Walshaw (Fera Science Ltd) and Nicholas Bird (KWS)

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in Molecular biology, Virology, Plant Pathology, Plant Science, Microbiology or similar.   

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

The studentship covers fees at the Home rate (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status and meet the residency criteria). International applicants are welcome to apply but will be required to cover the difference between Home and International fees.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme ) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal  

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.  

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:  

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8020F
• Research area Biological Sciences
• Select PhD Biology (Full-Time) – Biology as the  programme of study 

 You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Questions’ section:  

• ‘Personal Statement’ - upload a document or write a statement directly into the application form.   
• ‘Research Proposal’ - when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal 
• Studentship code SNES274 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.  

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section please upload:  

Contact Details

For further information contact: [email protected] .