Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships

Paid summer undergraduate research opportunity in microbiology, plant health, entomology, and biological pest control at BugBiome in Norwich, within the John Innes Centre / Norwich Research Park environment.

This project, “Microbes vs Aphids”, is part of the Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships programme funded by Defra. The placement is fully funded for 8-10 weeks in summer 2026, with a stipend of about £4,120 (the post also describes roughly £412/week for a 10-week placement).

Research activities include isolating microbial strains from crops, running insect assays, and identifying which microbes affect aphids and how they work. Students will gain hands-on experience in microbial isolation and culturing, experimental design, screening pipelines, and plant–microbe–insect interactions.

Eligibility is for UK undergraduate students in the middle years of their degree; first-year students are not eligible. The post highlights 2nd-year undergraduates entering their final year in Autumn 2026, and final-year students who plan to continue to an MSc or PhD in Autumn 2026. Relevant backgrounds include biology, microbiology, plant science, or related fields, with prior lab experience and interest in plants, insects, and microbes seen as advantages.

Applications are made via the Royal Society of Biology studentships portal using a free myRSB account. Applicants should submit course results to date, previous qualifications, a personal statement, and any relevant employment or extracurricular details. Deadline: 28 April 2026.