PhD in Plant Science

Exploring how sulphur metabolism shapes the oak tree microbiome Sulphur is a vital macronutrient for plant growth and resilience. This project hypothesises that alterations in sulphur chemistry in oak trees affected by Acute Oak Decline drives shifts in microbiome structure and activity, potentially by promoting the growth and virulence of pathogenic bacteria associated with stem cankers in AOD. Project Aims include: Chemical Profiling, Functional analysis of the oak microbiome, and in vitro functional assays.