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Department of Plant Sciences

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Microbiology & biotic interactions

Headline research projects for this theme:

The smoke receptor in plants conditions recognition of symbiotic fungi. Lead: Uta Paszkowski

Identification of a parasitism-gene unifier, the 'DOG box', is a cis-regulatory non-coding promoter motif and implies the existence of a unifying master-spatial-regulator of plant-parasitism. Lead: Sebastian Eves van den Akker

Intracellular accommodation of filamentous microbes is an ancient plant trait that is successfully exploited by pathogens. Lead: Sebastian Schornack

Vitamins, particularly B12 (cobalamin) limit algal productivity, but cyanobacteria are unlikely to be the source of B12 for algae because they synthesise pseudocobalamin, which supports algal growth poorly. Lead: Alison Smith.

Associated research groups:

Contributing research groups from associated institutions:


Some projects will be specifically targeted towards defined UKRI Research Council DTP schemes, as well as being open for applicants applying to the University's Graduate Funding Competition or other sources of funding.

Potential applicants should always approach the potential Supervisor/Group Leader in the first instance to discuss eligibility.

Key to funding opportunities below:

  • GFC = Graduate Funding Competition,
  • NERC = Cambridge NERC C-CLEAR DTP,
  • OTHER = Other sources of funding

 

Title Description
Carr Group: Plant viruses: Effects on drought resilience GFC / OTHER
Carr Group: Plant Virology: Effects on plant-pollinator interactions GFC / OTHER
Carr Group: Plant Virology: Interactions between viral proteins that affect host resistance to insect vectors GFC / OTHER
Carr Group: Plant Virology: Role of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in salicylic acid-induced viruses resistance GFC / OTHER
Carr Group: *Priority CASE Project* Pathogenic viruses of bees and aphids: Are plants a common reservoir? NERC / GFC / OTHER
Cunniffe Group: How can landscape structure be used to control crop disease? GFC / OTHER
Cunniffe Group: Using citrus as a model for scaling control of disease at local scales to strategies for regional control GFC / OTHER
Cunniffe Group: Tainted Love? Modelling the epidemiology, ecology and evolutionary consequences of pollinator-transmitted plant disease NERC / GFC / OTHER
Paszkowski Group: Root type contribution to phosphate nutrition of rice during asymbiosis and interaction with symbiotic fungi GFC / OTHER
Paszkowski Group: Cellular dynamics during invasion by beneficial and pathogenic fungi GFC / OTHER
Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU) Schornack Group: The role of GRAS transcription factors in plant microbe interactions and development of the non-vascular plant Marchantia polymorpha (Full PhD project) GFC / OTHER
Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU) Schornack Group: Contrasting functionality of a glycerol phosphate acyl transferase in roots and shoots (Rotation project) GFC / OTHER
Eves-van den Akker Group: The contribution of horizontal gene transfer to the evolution of plant-parasitism by nematodes GFC / OTHER
Eves-van den Akker Group: The plant immunity- and development-altering ‘toolbox’ of parasitic nematodes GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Evolutionary ‘omics of adaptation in environmental microbiomes NERC / GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Thawing Arctic: productivity and sources of carbon cycling in small lakes NERC / GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Evolution on the wild side: the predictability of adaptation to global change NERC / GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: Invisible world: the biogeography of molecular and microbial diversity in European lakes NERC / GFC / OTHER
Tanentzap Group: The role of algae in the Arctic carbon cycle GFC / OTHER

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