Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil

We study plants and soil, and their interactions with the environment across all scales.

plants close up

About our research

From molecules to ecosystems, we explore how plants, photosynthesis, and soils shape life on Earth—tackling global challenges in food security, climate resilience, and sustainability.

Read more about our research themes

Members

Visit cluster members information here

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More information about externally funded Fellowships in the School

Research Fellows

Find out more about our current Fellows here and the work that they are doing

Research and impact

Image of fungi growing on the bark of a fallen tree

£8 million study to unlock the power of fungi

Professor Katie Field award prestigious Royal Society Faraday Fellowship to unlock fungi's power for boosting food security and tackling climate change.
Graphical image of the Plantmemo process

ERC funded research aims to unlock stressful plant memories

A new project led by Prof Jurriaan Ton aims to uncover how plants adapt and survive in challenging environments with the ultimate goal to create more resilient crops.
An image of a Marmalade Hoverfly hanging from a small bright yellow flower. The fly has a stripey yellow and black body and highlights of purple on the head.
A Marmalade Hoverfly. Credit: Stuart Campbell

Urbanisation linked to a 43 per cent drop in pollinating insects

Increasing urbanisation is linked to a decline in crucial pollinator populations, including nocturnal moths, hoverflies, and bees, according to a new study.

Find our more about the impact of urbanisation

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PhD projects

We have a number of self funded PhD projects available for application.

Visit the School's PhD page for more information here

Research, Partnerships & Innovation

Uniting academic experts from science with colleagues from the public and private sectors, to develop new products, processes and services.

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