PhD: Unravelling Interactions Between Potato Leafroll Virus, Aphid Vectors, and Potato Host for Sustainable Control of Aphid-Borne Viruses Harper Adams University in United Kingdom

This fully funded PhD project, part of the CIC-START industrial doctoral training programme, investigates the complex interactions between Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), its aphid vectors, and potato host plants. The research is based at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee, with Harper Adams University as the degree-awarding institution. The project addresses a critical challenge in UK agriculture: the rapid increase in PLRV incidence in Scottish seed potatoes, which threatens the £0.5 billion Scottish seed potato sector and wider UK food security.

Supervised by Dr Eugene Ryabov and Alison Karley (James Hutton Institute), Professor Tom Pope (Harper Adams University), and Eric Anderson (Scottish Agronomy Ltd), the student will join a multidisciplinary team and benefit from strong academic and industry engagement, including an industrial placement. The research aims to unravel the drivers of virus epidemics by studying both historic and newly isolated PLRV strains and current genotypes of potato aphids (Myzus persicae, Macrosiphum euphorbiae). Using wild-type virus and cDNA clones, the project will analyse virus replication dynamics, systemic spread in plants, symptom development, and aphid transmission efficiency through field trials and controlled environment experiments.

Key objectives include comparing PLRV variants for replication and symptom development, assessing the effect of PLRV on aphid attraction and transmission, determining the impact of horizontal and vertical transmission on virus evolution, and integrating findings into industry guidance for effective virus management. The research will also explore how virus infection alters plant-aphid interactions, including changes in plant attractiveness and volatile emissions.

The successful candidate will receive comprehensive training in molecular virology, entomology, crop physiology, agroecology, experiment design, statistical analysis, bioinformatics, and knowledge translation. This skill set is highly valued by employers in agricultural and life science fields. The project is ideal for candidates with an environmental or agricultural science background who are motivated to address sustainability challenges in the arable sector.

Funding is provided by BBSRC/UKRI, covering a stipend at the UKRI rate (£21,805), tuition fees, and a small research budget. Applications are open to UK and overseas candidates, but international recruitment is capped at 30% in accordance with UKRI Terms and Conditions. The application deadline is April 3, 2026.

For more information and to apply, visit the project page or contact the supervisors. This opportunity offers excellent training, industry engagement, and the chance to contribute to sustainable crop protection strategies in UK agriculture.