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John Innes Centre

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PhD in Engineering Plant Cell Walls Beyond a Pest Symbiont’s Digestive Range John Innes Centre in United Kingdom

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Biochemistry

Funding

Competition-funded PhD studentship. Annual stipend is above the BBSRC minimum level; the 2027/28 stipend will be £26,212. Includes £5,500 per year for department laboratory fees, £700 for books, conferences and travel, and tuition fees paid by the Foundation. Up to an additional £3,000 may be claimed for extra expenses during a six-month placement at another university/institute in year 3 or 4.

Deadline

Nov 20, 2026

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Country

United Kingdom

University

John Innes Centre

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Keywords

Biochemistry
Microbiology
Plant Biology
Biology
Entomology
Symbiosis
Genome Engineering
Bacterial Genomic

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About this position

PhD opportunity at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom in molecular microbiology, plant cell wall engineering, symbiosis, entomology, and microbial genomics.

This project, supervised by Dr Hassan Salem and Dr Aileen Berasategui, investigates whether plant cell walls can be engineered beyond the digestive range of a pest beetle’s bacterial symbiont, Stammera. The research focuses on pectin chemistry, especially methylesterification, and asks whether modifying leaf pectin can prevent herbivorous beetles from feeding without harming plant growth.

The student will combine CRISPR/Cas9 editing, targeted gene overexpression, cell wall analytical chemistry, antibody labelling, protein biochemistry, microbial genomics, and insect experimental biology. The work begins with a diploid wild relative of sweet potato and aims to generate a graded series of engineered lines that exceed the symbiont enzyme threshold. Beetles reared with and without their symbiont will be tested on engineered and control plants to measure survivorship, development, feeding rate, gut enzyme activity, and symbiont abundance.

The project also examines whether the enzyme limit holds across beetle species and whether symbiont transfer can restore digestion on engineered plants. This is a competition-funded PhD studentship open to students worldwide.

Funding includes an annual stipend above the BBSRC minimum, £5,500 per year for laboratory fees, £700 for books/conferences/travel, tuition fees paid by the Foundation, and a 2027/28 stipend level of £26,212. An additional £3,000 may be available for extra expenses during a six-month placement at another university or institute in year 3 or 4.

Applicants should be curious, comfortable working across disciplines, and interested in plant biology, microbiology, and insect–microbe interactions. Interested students should contact the supervisory team before the deadline and submit a CV plus a short motivation letter.

Funding details

Competition-funded PhD studentship. Annual stipend is above the BBSRC minimum level; the 2027/28 stipend will be £26,212. Includes £5,500 per year for department laboratory fees, £700 for books, conferences and travel, and tuition fees paid by the Foundation. Up to an additional £3,000 may be claimed for extra expenses during a six-month placement at another university/institute in year 3 or 4.

What's required

Applicants should be curious, comfortable working across disciplines, and interested in plant genetic engineering, cell wall analytical chemistry, protein biochemistry, microbial genomics, and insect experimental biology. A CV and a short motivation letter are requested, explaining interest in the project, relevant background, and suitability for PhD study.

How to apply

Contact the supervisory team before the deadline via FindAPhD or directly by email to discuss the project and your suitability. Submit a CV and a short motivation letter with your application.

More information can be found here

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