PhD Studentship: The hidden immune system of fungi uncovering the roles of NLR genes

Overview

The PhD Studentship titled The hidden immune system of fungi uncovering the roles of NLR genes is offered through the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham. This project focuses on the uncharacterized contribution of NLR genes to the fungal immune system, utilizing the model fungus Zymoseptoria tritici to understand how this gene family influences processes such as fungal-bacterial interactions, self-incompatibility, and host plant interactions.

What you get

The successful candidate receives training across multiple techniques in molecular and cellular biology, bioinformatics, and protein biochemistry. Research activities include generating fungal gene knockout strains, conducting high-throughput screens of microbial collections, performing RNAseq profiling of the fungal transcriptome, employing confocal fluorescence microscopy, and using proximity labelling techniques such as TurboID.

Requirements

The studentship is a full-time, fixed-term, on-site position.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 23 November 2026.