A 2 year Postdoc position as part of a large team developing crop
microbiomes that resist pathogens.

The Graystock Lab at the Silwood Park Campus of Imperial College
London is seeking a microbial ecologist interested in pioneering a
new approach towards suppressing the pathogens of one of the world's
most important staple crops, wheat (T. aestivum). We aim to do this
through manipulation of the extant soil microbiome.  The project aims
to 1) optimise/engineer soil microbiomes to aid the suppression of the
take-all fungus, Gaeumannomyces tritci, in the wheat rhizosphere; and 2)
to advance our fundamental understanding of microbial community dynamics
in complex environments. This project represents a multi-disciplinary
collaboration among the Pawar, Ransome, Waring and Bell labs.

Through directed artificial selection, we will develop soil microbiomes
that exhibit suppression of take-all disease in the greenhouse
setting. Working in climate-controlled growth facilities and with the
assistance of a laboratory technician, you will lead the development of a
soil microbiome to reduce disease virulence and improve crop yield. With
the assistance of bioinformaticians and mathematicians within the wider
group you will go on to identify the microbial taxa and/or metabolic
networks which most strongly influence crop performance. As such, you will
play a key role in the development of a sustainable, microbial solution,
combatting one of the most harmful diseases of wheat crops.

What you would be doing
Your primary task will be to help design and carry out lab/CE-room
experiments to explore ways to manipulate and optimise soil microbiomes
to promote wheat growth and/or suppress resistance to G. tritici. You
will work as part of a diversly skilled collaboration, all based at the
Silwood Park campus of Imperial College London and working on this system
and overarching goal to develop a sustainable strategy to control take-all
disease in wheat. The experiment will also involve some exploration into
the use of robotics and spectral analysis in assessing crop health.

You will be assisted in this effort by a team of four PDRAs, two research
technicians, and many post-graduate students across the five collaborating
lab groups, who will be engaged in the laboratory optimisation of the
disease-suppressing inoculum, molecular and culture-based studies of
microbial physiology, and computational modelling to understand and
predict the dynamics of microbial communities. By working closely
together, this team has the potential to significantly advance our
capacity to manage complex microbiomes to improve the sustainability of
agriculture. You will therefore be expected to interact frequently with
your colleagues in the laboratory, in the field, and through regular group
meetings. You will also have the opportunity to supervise of undergraduate
and post-graduate student projects. Finally, you will be provided the
resources to advance your own career along your desired path, through
mentorship, professional development opportunities, and opportunities
to develop collaborations that extend beyond the core group, including
with Rothamsted Research and CABI.

More information here:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-jobs/description/index.php?jobId=21411

p.graystock@imperial.ac.uk

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