PhD Studentship: Where do plants make their medicine? Mapping chemical defence one cell at a time
Overview
The Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Programme offers a four-year PhD research project titled Where do plants make their medicine? Mapping chemical defence one cell at a time. The research is based at The Sainsbury Laboratory, part of the University of East Anglia, and involves working with the Osbourn group at the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom. The project starts on 1 October 2027 and investigates how plants divide chemical defence tasks among different cells during pathogen attacks using methods such as advanced microscopy, single-cell analysis, genome editing, and metabolomics.
Who can apply
Applicants must hold at least a UK equivalent Bachelor Honours 2:1 degree. Candidates must also meet the English Language requirement of an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with 6 in each category, matching the Faculty of Science equivalent. Admissions selections are made without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, or social background. Bespoke templates provided on the programme website must be used for the Personal and Research statements to support accessibility.
What you get
The awarded studentship covers tuition fees paid directly to the university, a living expenses stipend at the 2026/27 rate of 21,805 British pounds per annum, and a Research Training Support Grant of 5,000 British pounds per year for each of the four years. Students also undertake a three-month professional internship placement during their studies and participate in a comprehensive training programme to develop professional and research skills.
Requirements
Candidates are expected to connect experimental biology with data analysis and chemistry, though prior experience in every specific area is not required since full training and daily support are provided. Applicants must submit their applications using the designated templates for the Personal and Research statements found on the programme website.
Key dates
The application closing date is 30 November 2026. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on 2, 3, and 4 February 2027. The studentship commences on 1 October 2027.