Andy Lovering

[PhD studentship funded by BBSRC through the Midlands Integrated Biosciences Training Partnership, in partnership with the University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, Aston University, Harper Adams University, Coventry University, and the University of Leicester.] This PhD studentship at the University of Birmingham focuses on designing synthetic proteins for the sustainable control of fungal plant diseases. The project sits at the interface of plant pathology, protein engineering, and AI-driven molecular design, and it aims to create new protein-based tools that help plants resist fungal pathogens. Fungal pathogens secrete effector proteins to suppress host defences, but these same effectors can also be vulnerabilities if they are recognised or blocked. In this project, the student will use modern computational protein design approaches to develop synthetic proteins that either bind fungal effectors and neutralise their function or can be incorporated into immune receptors to expand the plant’s ability to recognise disease-causing proteins. The work will build on a set of immune-suppressing effectors already identified from the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. The student will learn and apply computational protein design pipelines such as RFdiffusion and BindCraft, then produce both target effectors and designed proteins in bacterial, yeast, and insect expression systems. Protein-protein interactions will be tested in vitro using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) or microscale thermophoresis (MST) in collaboration with Prof. Andy Lovering’s lab. Promising interactions will then be evaluated in plants using Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. This is a highly interdisciplinary project with strong training in protein design, molecular interaction analysis, and plant-based functional assays. It is framed as a proof-of-concept study showing that AI-designed synthetic proteins can be used to disrupt pathogen effector function or support the creation of new immune receptors for improved crop protection. The position is part of a PhD studentship within the Midlands Integrated Biosciences Training Partnership, funded by BBSRC and involving the University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, Aston University, Harper Adams University, Coventry University, and the University of Leicester. No funding amount is specified in the advert. The application deadline is 23 November 2026, and applicants should use the University of Birmingham application portal. Informal enquiries may be directed to Dr Graeme Kettles at [email protected].