Opportunities
Funded undergraduate summer studentship – Investigating multi-insect resistance in Oilseed Rape
We are currently advertising a funded 10-week undergraduate summer studentship at the John Innes Centre, through the Royal Society of Biology’s Plant Health Undergraduate Studentship programme.
The student will investigate crop-pest interactions across a diverse panel of Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus) genotypes, specifically focussing on resistance/susceptibility to both Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala) and the Green Peach Aphid (Myzus persicae).
The student will gain experience in:
- Plant and insect husbandry
- Experimental design, crop-pest experimentation, and statistical analyses (using R)
- Semi-automated image phenotyping
- Scientific record keeping and data management
The studentship will take place during the summer of 2025 (ideal start date: 16th June 2025) and is open to students who are registered at a UK university and in the middle years (i.e. 2/3, 2/4 or 3/4) of their degree. Final year undergraduates intending to continue to study for a Master’s or PhD may also be considered. Successful students will receive a stipend of £400 per week.
Interested students can apply here or contact Dr Ryan Brock (Ryan.Brock@jic.ac.uk) or Dr Rachel Wells (Rachel.Wells@jic.ac.uk) for more information about the project.
Application deadline: 23:59 on Friday 25th April 2025.