Protein Use Efficiency in Wheat for Reduced Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emmissions

Help shape the future of sustainable wheat production.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and ambitious PhD student to investigate protein use efficiency (PUE) in bread-making wheat, an exciting research opportunity addressing one of the major challenges facing modern agriculture: how to reduce nitrogen fertiliser use without compromising crop yield or bread-making quality.

Nitrogen fertiliser is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and represents a significant cost to farmers. At the same time, the wheat milling and baking industry often uses grain protein content as a key indicator of quality, encouraging farmers to apply additional nitrogen to achieve high protein levels. Yet some wheat varieties can produce excellent bread at lower protein concentrations. Understanding why could unlock significant environmental and economic benefits.

Working in collaboration with DSV and the John Innes Centre (JIC), you will investigate the genetic, biochemical and physical characteristics that enable wheat to deliver high loaf volume with lower grain protein content. You will work with advanced wheat breeding materials and landrace collections, combining field and laboratory experiments, baking assessments, molecular genetics, genomics, metabolomics and statistical modelling.

The project will identify traits and genes associated with high PUE and investigate how these varieties perform under reduced nitrogen fertilisation. You will also develop practical tools, including molecular markers and rapid screening approaches, to support the breeding and identification of high-PUE wheat.

This interdisciplinary PhD offers an opportunity to work at the interface of plant genetics, crop science, food quality and sustainable agriculture, while collaborating with academic and industry partners. Your research could contribute directly to reducing nitrogen use and greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the quality of bread produced from UK wheat.

Join us in developing the next generation of high-quality, low-input wheat varieties.

This project is awarded with a 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD CASE studentship with DSV. The studentship includes payment of tuition fees (directly to the University), a stipend to cover living expenses (2026/27 stipend rate: £21,805), and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000pa for each year of the studentship.

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