Mylnefield Trust Scholars: Identification of target genes for control of economically important plant pathogens using large foundation models

BackgroundMicronutrients, including copper, zinc, and iron, are elements that are necessary for healthy growth and development in plants and humans, despite being required in small amounts. In plants, copper underpins photosynthesis, which is an essential process, allowing them to grow and in the case of cereal plants, produce viable grain. Zinc is another...

Legumes such as beans and peas are central to sustainable food systems, providing dietary protein and many other nutrients, contributing to sustainable soil fertility and supporting climate-resilient agriculture. However, their productivity is increasingly constrained by abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, which are expected...

This project is based at the James Hutton Institute (JHI), a global leader in cereal genetics and home of the International Barley Hub (IBH).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...

Developing crop cultivars that are resilient to climate change and can help mitigate its effects will be critical to supporting healthy soils and reducing the environmental impact of food production. Key to this are the interactions plants have with soil microorganisms. Plants can influence microbial communities in the soil by releasing chemicals known as...

Background – Most potato (Solanum tuberosum) varieties are highly sensitive to elevated temperature, reflecting their origin in the cool climates of the Andes in South America. This project directly targets critical knowledge gaps surrounding sustainable potato production: the loss of marketable yield and tuber quality under stress. With climate change...

We are seeking a motivated post-doctoral researcher in molecular microbiology or plant pathology to join our dynamic research team for a 3-year position, starting 1st October 2025, investigating the fascinating molecular mechanisms behind blackleg disease in potato, caused by _Pectobacterium atrosepticum_ (Pba). You'll lead innovative research unravelling...

Cereals are our most important staple foods, supplying about 50% of global dietary energy. Cereal crops were domesticated from their wild progenitors thousands of years ago. In their wild form, mature grains naturally fall from the plant in a process called shattering. Early farmers collected and replanted wild cereals with rare mutations that prevented this...

Potato genetics, unlike the genetics of other major crops, has experienced limited progress due to the complexity of its tetrasomic inheritance. However, the potato genetics group (Hein, Chen, and Adams) has made significant strides in this field. Their work has successfully developed molecular markers for disease resistances, which have been validated by...

We are seeking a motivated post-doctoral researcher in molecular microbiology or plant pathology to join our dynamic research team for a 3-year position starting 1st October 2025 investigating the fascinating molecular mechanisms behind blackleg disease in potato caused by Pectobacterium atrosepticum (Pba). Youll lead innovative research unravelling how...

Many governments (including UK) are encouraging regenerative agriculture via policies that support or encourage reduced tillage and cover/catch crop utilisation in agricultural rotations, however, success in northern climates has been mixed. Reduced tillage practices have been shown to benefit the soils physical attributes, but the practice is often unviable...