PhD Studentship: Using modelling and experiments to understand how, when and where viruses undergo recombination in plants

Overview

The University of Exeter, through the Department of Biosciences, offers a PhD studentship focused on understanding how, when, and where viruses undergo recombination in plants. Plant viruses threaten agricultural sustainability and global food production by evolving, overcoming crop defences, and emerging in more damaging forms. This project combines computational and experimental methods to investigate the fundamental processes driving viral evolution within infected plants.

What you get

The successful candidate receives funding for tuition fees as well as an annual stipend of £21,805 for the 2026/7 academic year. The position is a full-time, fixed-term contract based on site at the United Kingdom location.

Requirements

Applicants should note that the project integrates quantitative image analysis, machine learning, mathematical modelling, simulation, and experimental biology. The research involves analysing fluorescence images of viral infections using traditional methods and machine learning, developing a multiscale model of viral spread, and using simulations to predict recombination opportunities. The second phase requires testing model predictions experimentally using plant pathology, molecular biology, and microbial techniques, including the development of a novel molecular tool with engineered split and mutated fluorescent proteins to detect recombination events. Joint supervision is provided by Dr Mike Deeks and Dr Wolfram Moebius.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 2026-12-08.