MSc by Research: Jasmonate control of barley development

Dr Sarah McKim

Applications accepted all year round

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

About the Project

From the earliest farmers to modern plant breeders, humans have bred and selected for cereals that develop to produce higher grain yields. Excitingly, recent work in the McKim lab suggests that the plant hormone jasmonate is an important developmental regulator in barley. However, we would like to find out how jasmonate interacts with other pathways controlling barley development and its role in environmental responses. In this project, the student will use genetic and sequence resources, developmental analyses and physiological experiments to understand how the jasmonate pathway controls development in barley. The student will also explore how jasmonate may alter susceptibility to abiotic and biotic stress. Taken together, you will reveal the developmental roles of jasmonate in barley.

Students with a passion for research who are motivated by a desire to improve food security are the best fit for this project. In this project, the student will learn the latest molecular biology, cereal physiology and developmental biology methods. The student will be based in the McKim lab, a dynamic, productive and supportive research group studying cereal development, which is based at the James Hutton Institute (JHI), a global leader in cereal genetics and genomics, and part of the International Barley Hub, a £62 million investment in cereal research (http://www.barleyhub.org/). The student will participate in training offered both by University of Dundee and JHI, and join a cohort of next-generation cereal scientists. We warmly welcome students from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Please feel free to contact the primary supervisor to discuss any aspects of the project.

Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research. We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education.

Please see our website for further details on the programme and how to apply:

Life Sciences MSc by Research MSc by Research (Postgraduate) : Study : University of Dundee

Please note before submitting your application that you must list your top three project choices in the Research Proposal section of the application form.

When you complete your application form, you should include your top 3 project choices, 2 letters of reference, uploaded under "Other Information" > "Supporting documents" and a personal statement. Failure to do so will delay your application.

Please note when submitting an application, please note our intake deadlines on the ‘how to apply’ section of our website