Balancing Wheat Rust Resilience and Soil Microbial Diversity

Project Code: SAUNDERS_JIC_ARIES27

Balancing Wheat Rust Resilience and Soil Microbial Diversity

Project Code: SAUNDERS_JIC_ARIES27

Project Description

Supervisors

Professor Diane Saunders, John Innes Center – contact me

Professor Jacob Malone, John Innes Centre

Professor Daniel Bebber, University of Exeter

 

Scientific Background:

Plant-microbe relationships are shaped by complex, root-exuded metabolites that vary by host genotype and can be augmented to enhance agricultural productivity. In modern agriculture, an emerging, environmentally friendly strategy to enhance resilience to phytopathogens is to disrupt the function of disease susceptibility genes (S-genes), which are targeted by pathogens to promote their growth and infection. However, S-gene disruption often leads to wider changes in the metabolic profile of plants, which can influence colonisation by other pests, pathogens and beneficial microbes.

We previously defined four new S-genes in wheat (TaBCAT1, TaCSP41a, TaICL and TaASIL2) that when disrupted provide protection against wheat rust fungi, the so-called “polio of agriculture”. In addition, changes in metabolic profiles induced by these S-gene disruptions may provide more expansive beneficial effects against other pathogens and pests. For instance, TaICL disruption leads to hyperaccumulation of glyoxylate cycle intermediates, which when exogenously applied to plants can inhibit various pests and pathogens (e.g., wheat powdery mildew, nematodes, brown plant hopper, aphids etc). Yet, the broader implications of individual S-gene disruptions on shaping plant microbiomes remain to be explored.

 

Research Methodology

The main aim of this project is to resolve how S-gene disruptions influence root exudation and shape the wheat rhizosphere microbiome, and the implications of this for sustainable agricultural deployment. The individual will: (i) use field and greenhouse experiments, metagenomics and environmental microbiology to characterise the influence of S-gene disruptions in defining root microbial communities, (ii) use GC/MS metabolomics to identify the dominant metabolites influencing microbiome assembly for S-gene disruption mutants, and (iii) use spatial landscape models to establish optimal deployment strategies for S-gene disruption mutants.

 

Training

You will join the international, multidisciplinary Saunders and Malone Labs at the John Innes Centre, and develop extensive skills in a breadth of areas, including plant pathology, molecular biology and environmental microbiology. Additionally, you will receive training in landscape modelling by research leaders at Exeter University.

 

Person Specification:

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual, keen to work on an interdisciplinary, collaborative project that brings together findings from multiple research fields to push the boundaries of plant pathology and rhizosphere microbiology.

Acceptable first degree subject(s): Biology, Ecology

References

  • Puthanvila Surendrababu S., Savva L., Korolev A.V., Hill L., Saalbach G., *Saunders D.G.O. (2026) A wheat MYB transcription factor activates defense by repressing TaSIZ1 in response to branched-chain amino acid accumulation. The Plant Cell 38(5). [https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag135]
  • Pacheco-Moreno A., Bollmann-Giolai A., Chandra G., Brett P., Davies J., ... & *Malone J.G. (2024) The genotype of barley cultivars influences multiple aspects of their associated microbiota via differential root exudate secretion. PLoS Biology 22 (4). e3002232 [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002232]
  • Taketani R.G., Clark I.M., Yau P.T.O., Liu L., Zhang F., Bak G-R., Thompson C.M.A., Bonnin J.M., Stewart H., Malone J.G., Jones S., Holden N., Ryan M.J., Mauchline T.H.. (2026) Host plant selects bacterial rhizosphere microbiome function whereas community structure is determined by soil legacy. ISME Communications, 6(1) [https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag083]
  • Ibe C.N., Bailey S.L., Korolev A.V., Brett P., *Saunders D.G.O. (2024) Isocitrate lyase promotes Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici susceptibility in wheat (Triticum aestivum) by suppressing accumulation of glyoxylate cycle intermediates. The Plant Journal, 119: 2033-2044. [https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16908]
  • Lewis C.M., Morier‐Gxoyiya C., Hubbard A., Nellist C.F., Bebber D.P., *Saunders D.G.O. (2024) Resurgence of wheat stem rust infections in western Europe: causes and how to curtail them. New Phytologist, 243: 537-542. [https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19864]

Key Information

  • This studentship has been shortlisted for funding under the UKRI NERC DLA funding scheme and will commence on 1 October 2027. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 16 December 2026.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£21,805 p.a. for 2026/27) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
  • ARIES postgraduate researchers (PGRs) benefit from bespoke training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or immigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns, please contact us.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship, follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential and will be stored on the UEA SharePoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be asked to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. Please see https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information.

Apply Now

Apply now via the University of East Anglia Application Portal