Professor Katie Field

School of Biosciences

Professor of Plant-Soil Processes

Professor Katie Field
Profile picture of Professor Katie Field
k.j.field@sheffield.ac.uk

Full contact details

Professor Katie Field
School of Biosciences
A01 Lab A10
Arthur Willis Environment Centre
Maxfield Avenue
Sheffield
S10 1AE
Profile
  • 2025 - present: Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellow, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2020 - present: Professor of Plant-Soil Processes, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2019 – 2020: Professor of Plant-Soil Interactions, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2017 – 2019: Associate Professor in Plant-Soil Processes, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2016 – 2021: BBSRC Translational Fellow, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2015 - 2017: University Academic Fellow in Plant-Soil Processes, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2015: Patrick and Irwin-Packington Fellow, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2009 – 2014: Postdoctoral Research Associate (NERC), Dept. Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2005 – 2008: PhD, University of Sheffield
  • 2002 - 2005: BSc, Plant Sciences, University of Durham
Research interests

Life on Earth depends on partnerships between different species, and one of the most important is the relationship between plants and soil fungi, known as "mycorrhizas”. These partnerships have existed for over 500 million years, and likely played a key role in helping plants colonise land. The most common mycorrhizal partnership involves arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which provide plants with essential soil nutrients in exchange for sugars produced by the plant through photosynthesis. These fungi are found in nearly all plant species and are fundamental to plant and soil health, and wider ecosystem functioning. I investigate how environmental change over deep time has shaped mycorrhizal symbioses, and how these partnerships influence ecosystem functioning today. My work explores the evolution, structure, and function of ancient plant‑fungal mutualisms and their roles in global carbon and nutrient cycling, particularly under pressures such as climate change and soil degradation.

A key emphasis of my research is understanding diversity within mycorrhizal associations, and how different fungal lineages exchange nutrients and carbon with host plants in varied contexts. I investigate how these mutualistic interactions operate in different plant groups, ranging from liverworts and orchids to vascular plants, and how fungal networks may facilitate resource sharing or plant-plant signalling across ecosystems.

My approach integrates ecophysiological measurements with isotope tracing and metabolomics, enabling a detailed understanding of carbon-for-nutrient exchange and the functional roles of symbiont diversity in soil communities. This work has revealed how fungal networks can mediate nutrient distribution and foster resilience in plant communities facing biotic and environmental challenges.

My research aims to:

  • Characterise the functional diversity of fungal symbionts, including lesser-studied lineages, and their contributions to plant nutrition, carbon storage, and soil biogeochemical cycling.
  • Examine how ecological networks of mycorrhizal fungi modulate plant interactions, nutrient flows, and community dynamics in changing environments.
  • Inform sustainable land-management and agricultural practices by improving understanding of how mycorrhizal communities can be harnessed to enhance nutrient uptake and carbon sequestration at landscape scales.
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

Conference proceedings papers

Preprints

Professional activities and memberships
  • Research Cluster Lead, Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil
  • Deputy Chair, Research Committee B, BBSRC
  • Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Plants, People, Planet
  • Senior Editor, Functional Ecology
  • Gatsby Plant Science Network Mentor