Plant Sciences University of Cambridge

Overview

The Plant Sciences course from the University of Cambridge offers excellent research and training opportunities in the following areas of plant and microbial science:

• Cell function & responses to the environment
• Developmental biology & signalling
• Genetics and epigenetics
• Ecosystem function and conservation
• Evolution and diversity
• Microbiology & biotic interactions
• Plant pathology and epidemiology
• Mathematical biology
• Enhancing photosynthesis
• Biotechnology and engineering

The Crop Science Centre is an alliance between the University of Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences and the crop research organisation NIAB. The Centre will serve as a global hub for crop science research and a base for collaborations with research partners around the world.

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the University's principal research degree. A PhD in Plant Sciences takes three to four years of full-time study to complete (or four to seven years part-time) and consists of research and courses as required under academic supervision. Applicants should contact a potential supervisor before proceeding with their PhD application. You can browse the personal/group pages of the Research Group Leaders to check details of their research.

The aim of PhD training is to develop a deep theoretical and practical understanding through research into aspects of Plant Sciences, augmented by appropriate lecture courses delivered within the department or, more generally, across the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences.

The course provides training in a wide range of disciplines, including plant genetic engineering, plant development, plant molecular biology, plant biochemistry, plant-microbe interactions, microbiology, plant ecology, crop biology, plant virology, plant epigenetics, epidemiology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, eco-physiology, and bioinformatics.

Having identified a research area of interest and contacted the appropriate Supervisor, the first stage in developing an application should be to draft an appropriate research summary of the training to be undertaken.

The primary outcomes from successfully completing a PhD include expertise in:

• specialist training in experimental or theoretical methods
• an ability to analyse relevant literature and apply it to the development of innovative research
• capacity to develop and apply data abstraction and analytical procedures with an appropriate level of statistical validation
• independence in designing and conducting original research and preparing that data in a format suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• enhanced organisational skills in terms of time management, good laboratory practices, safety and planning a specific programme of research