PhD Studentship: Hidden Pest-Pathogen Alliances: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Aphid-Fungal Cooperation on Wheat SCI3070

Studentship Information

Supervisor: Prof Rumiana Ray (University of Nottingham)

Secondary Supervisor: Dr Hadrien Peyret (University of Nottingham), Dr Dong-Hyun Kim (University of Nottingham), Prof Toby Bruce (Keele University)

Subject Area: Plant Health, Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience

Research Title: Hidden Pest-Pathogen Alliances: Unravelling the Mechanisms of Aphid-Fungal Cooperation on Wheat

Research Description

Wheat underpins global food security, providing a major source of calories for both human consumption and animal feed. However, crop productivity is increasingly threatened by plant diseases, insect pests, climate change, and growing pressure to reduce chemical inputs. Understanding how multiple biological threats interact within crops represents one of the major challenges facing sustainable agriculture.

Plant pathogens and insect herbivores are typically studied in isolation, despite sharing the same host and frequently occurring together in agricultural systems. Emerging evidence suggests that interactions between pests and pathogens can profoundly alter plant health, disease development, and crop productivity. However, the ecological and molecular mechanisms underpinning these interactions remain poorly understood.

This fully funded PhD studentship, supported by leading UK agricultural charities, will investigate interactions between the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), and the English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae), one of the most economically important pests of cereal crops. FHB causes substantial losses through yield reduction and contamination of grain with harmful mycotoxins, while aphids impact crop performance through direct feeding damage and modification of plant physiological responses.

The project will investigate how fungal infection influences aphid behaviour, how aphids modify disease development, and how wheat responds to simultaneous attack by pests and pathogens. Combining plant pathology, chemical ecology, molecular biology, metabolomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, and systems biology, the research will uncover the mechanisms governing interactions within the wheat–aphid–fungus system and identify new opportunities for sustainable crop protection.

The student will receive advanced interdisciplinary training in behavioural ecology, fungal biology, analytical chemistry, mass spectrometry, multi-omics data integration, disease epidemiology, and molecular plant-microbe-insect interactions. Research will utilise world-leading facilities at the University of Nottingham, including advanced metabolomics, genomics, controlled-environment facilities, and bioinformatics infrastructure, alongside specialist chemical ecology facilities at Keele University.

The supervisory team comprises internationally recognised researchers in plant pathology, insect chemical ecology, analytical bioscience, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. The project offers opportunities to engage with breeders, agronomists, industry partners, and the wider agricultural sector, providing excellent preparation for careers in academia, biotechnology, crop protection, plant breeding, and agri-food innovation.

Award Start Date: 01/10/2026

Duration of Award: 48 months

Terms and Conditions

This research studentship is only available to UK citizens and includes payment of tuition fees and a tax-free stipend based on current BBSRC rates.

Applicant Qualification Requirements

1st, 2:1 or MSc degree in Plant science, Agriculture, Microbiology, Ecology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular biology, or related biological sciences

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a CV and a brief statement (maximum two pages) outlining your academic background, research interests, relevant experience, and motivation for undertaking this PhD project to Prof Rumiana Ray - rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk

Informal Enquiries by prospective applicants are encouraged. Please contact Prof Rumiana Ray for an informal discussion: Email: rumiana.ray@nottingham.ac.uk. When making an enquiry, please attach a current CV and include a brief summary of your research interests and academic background.

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