The Division of Plant Sciences has 7 groups conducting research on a range of aspects of plant biology.  Our research labs are based at the Hutton Institute, giving access to state-of-the-art plant growth facilities and a wider community of researchers focused on plant science.

To find out more about available projects and supervisors click on the links below. When you identify an interesting project and would like to pursue the opportunity, please apply on line.

Professor Paul Birch
1. The manipulation of host plant defences by virulence effectors from plant pathogens. (click here for project details)

Professor John W S Brown
1. The role of the nucleolus in mRNA production and stability in Arabidopsis
2. The role of alternative splicing in regulating cold/drought stress responses in barley (click here for both projects)

Professor Andrew Flavell 
1. Identification of genes for crop improvement by genome-wide association scans
2. Genomics of diversity in wild and domesticated barley 
3. Application of next generation sequencing towards allele discovery in barley (click here for all projects)

Professor Claire Halpin
1. Molecular genetics of lignin biosynthesis in barley straw
2. Characterisation of barley genes involved in recombination (click here for both projects)

Dr Steve Hubbard and Professor Mark Chaplain
1. Trophic dynamics in plant-aphid-parasitoid-endosymbiont associations.
2. The role of plant nutritional status on the effectiveness of natural enemies in controlling insect pests (click here for both projects)

Dr Gordon Simpson
1. Flowering time control
2. Uncovering Mechanisms of Alternative RNA Polyadenylation in Gene Regulation
3. The non-coding Arabidopsis genome (click here for all projects)

Dr Edgar Huitema
1. Host translocation requirements of the Phytophthora capsici cytoplasmic CRN effector protein family (click here for project details)