This project is based at the James Hutton Institute (JHI), a global leader in cereal genetics and home of the International Barley Hub (IBH), a newly unveiled multimillion research facility.The project aims at gaining novel insight into how plants acquire and maintain optimal levels of Manganese, an essential micronutrient whose availability impacts multiple aspects of plant growth and development.
This includes changes to root and shoot morphology, which may contribute to the efficiency of minerals and water uptake.
Modern breeding has targeted yield and high quality under high-input conditions reducing crops biodiversity.
Conversely, locally-adapted cultivars, designated landraces, retain the capacity to grow profitably on marginal soils and therefore represent an untapped resource for sustainable agriculture.We have previously shown that barley landraces adapted to marginal soils in Orkney, known as "Bere" barley, outperform modern varieties when grown in Mn deficient soils.
We identified regions in the barley genome underpinning Bere's resilience to marginal soils.
In this project we want to build on this preliminary data identifying the morphological and physiological factors contributing to Mn efficiency in barley using a three-pronged experimental approach.
First, using the genetic resources generated for this project and an array of biochemistry and visualisation approaches, the candidate will define the Mn induced changes in root and shoot morphology and how these impact Mn uptake.
Next, the candidate will use state-of-the-art transcriptomics to define how Mn availability modulates gene expression in plant.
In parallel, the candidate will use microbiological techniques to explore how the microbial communities thriving at the root-soil interface, the so-called plant microbiota, contribute to barley's adaptation to limited Mn supplies.
Taken together, results of this project will identify mechanisms which will contribute to a sustainable, future-proof, cereal production, in barley and beyond. At the completion of the project, the candidate will have strengthened new and existing skills in widely applicable experimental and computational approaches, including data analysis. At the IBH the candidate will profit from the interaction with a diverse and multidisciplinary scientific community, including other PhD students from the EastBio and other programs, and receive training offered by the JHI and University of Dundee.
We warmly welcome students from diverse background and cultures.The EastBio partnership offers fully-funded competition based studentships.
Funding covers Home (UK fees), a stipend at UKRI norm level (£19,327 for 2024/2025) and project costs.
Application guidance can be found on the Eastbio website; How to Apply ¦ Biology.
Information on UKRI-BBSRC can be found on the UKRI website UKRI – UK Research and Innovation