PhD Student Vacancy: EastBio – To exclude or not to exclude………..Understanding the costs and benefits of excluding or accumulating sodium for barley in a changing climate

Job title:

PhD Student Vacancy: EastBio – To exclude or not to exclude………..Understanding the costs and benefits of excluding or accumulating sodium for barley in a changing climate

Company

The James Hutton Institute

Job description

Salinity is a global issue; its impact on crop cultivation is widely acknowledged (1 ), affecting 1 million Hectares of land ( ) in the European Union. Previously salinity wasn’t a problem in the UK; however, it’s a growing concern, impacting low-lying areas including, but not exclusively, East Anglia and East Suffolk (2,3), which are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion but where much land is used for growing cereals.This project will pursue our discovery that the sodium transporter gene, HvHKT1;5 is responsible for variation in sodium accumulation in grain of barley cultivars (4). We identified and characterised the impact of one specific change in the DNA sequence of HvHKT1;5, which changed if the plant was capable of excluding sodium or not. Intriguingly plants that had the version of the gene HvHKT1;5 which accumulated high levels of sodium compared to WT had neither reduced grain yield nor plant biomass. One interpretation is that alternative alleles of HKT1;5 mitigate toxic salinity by excluding sodium or help the plant thrive under non-toxic levels (P189) by accumulating sodium. Additionally, there is evidence in areas where water is limited that accumulating sodium in leaf tissue would facilitate water uptake, and therefore be beneficial in drought conditions (5) .Using the novel genetic resources available to us you will advance current understanding by characterising two contrasting strategies, to exclude or accumulate sodium under diverse sodium concentrations. To achieve this, you will study responses at a whole plant, transcriptomic and tissue specific level, using experiments at a range of scales from glasshouse to field trials.You will join a dynamic and diverse team of scientists based at the International Barley Hub at the James Hutton Institute. You will learn a range of lab-based techniques including spatial transcriptomics, cloning to generate stable transgenic lines, RNA-seq, qPCR, florescence microscopy. These skills will be complimented by learning to access and analyse large datasets using both linux at the command line and R. You will develop skills such as writing papers and giving research presentations to academics and other interested stakeholders.The EastBio partnership offers fully-funded competition based studentships. Funding covers Home (UK fees), a stipend at UKRI norm level (£19,327 for 2024/2025) and project costs. Application guidance can be found on the Eastbio website; . Information on UKRI-BBSRC can be found on the UKRI websiteWe will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Bronze Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.

Expected salary

£19237 per year

Location

Dundee

Job date

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:05:40 GMT

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