Website Imperial College London
Location: Imperial College London and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Supervisors: Prof. Martin I. Bidartondo and Dr Guillaume Delhaye.
Project duration: 1 October 2026 – 30 September 2030.
Funding for: UK Students. The studentship is subject to UKRI eligibility criteria and will cover fees and stipend at UKRI rates for a maximum of 4 years full-time.
Deadline for application: Monday 1 June 2026, 5pm GMT.
Interviews: 19 June 2026.
Context: Mycorrhizal fungi are central to ecosystem processes such as plant nutrition and soil carbon sequestration. Different approaches exist to assess mycorrhizas in the environment, but the impact of these on assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services is unknown. This project will create synergy between the use of environmental data (Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment, ICP Forests, Nature Unlocked) to inform land management and the generation of high-resolution local data to evaluate, optimise and justify national and international mycorrhizal assessment, monitoring, restoration, nature-based solutions, climate-adaptation strategies and conservation. It will compare and refine approaches for environmental detection and quantification of mycorrhizal fungi, including first-, second- and third-generation DNA sequencing technologies for roots and soil across different UK habitats to examine, for example, the impact of intra-genomic variation on biodiversity metrics. It will also enable essential multi-locus genotyping, genet-size assessments, comparisons of roots versus soil hyphae versus ingrowth-bag hyphae, and may incorporate mycorrhizal enzyme assays, trait analyses, inoculum-potential bioassays, air-spore traps and rodent-dispersed spore traps.
Objectives:
1. Characterise local fungal diversity across a mosaic of ecosystems (grassland and forests) at two English estates (60 and 12 acres) using environmental eukaryotic soil DNA, with a primary focus on mycorrhizal fungi.
2. Quantify method-specific variation in biodiversity estimates by comparing different monitoring approaches (fruitbody surveys, DNA identification of mycorrhizas, soil DNA and/or spore traps).
3. Test seasonal variation in fungal community composition and diversity in soil, mycorrhizas/roots, fruitbodies and spores.
4. Benchmark local ecosystem diversity against comparable sites in southern England, including Kew’s Wakehurst Living Laboratory.
5. Characterise environmental conditions and ecosystem services, including soil chemistry (soil carbon and nutrients) and soil nutrient-cycling enzymes and their change through time.
Training opportunities: The student will receive training in collection of environmental data including DNA, fungal identification, molecular and statistical methods, and bioinformatics. They will be trained in field and laboratory work, including but not restricted to, DNA extraction, enzymatic measurement, qPCR, microscopy, root staining) and work closely with other projects within the Mycorrhizal Ecology Lab at RBG Kew. Additional opportunities for training are available at RBG Kew and Imperial College; both partners provide world-leading and extensive training to PhD students, including e.g. science communication and international partnerships. The skills developed are interdisciplinary and relevant to many fields in industry and academia including plant and fungal science, biodiversity and environmental change, project management, and science communication.
Partners: This project will include multiple partners within RBG Kew (Dr Carrie Andrew, Dr Jill Kowal, Mycorrhizal Ecology Lab, RBG Kew Fungarium, Molecular Ecology and Population Genetics, Spatial Ecology Team) and abroad (Dr Laura M. Suz, Botanical Institute of Barcelona).
Funding amount: fees and stipend at UKRI rates (for the academic year 2026-27 the stipend rate is £21,805 plus £2,000 London weighting; this will increase annually with inflation). Generous funding for field and laboratory work is available. The project is funded by a philanthropic donor.
The candidate: Applicants should have a 1st class or high 2:1 BSc degree (or international equivalent) in Biology, Ecology, Genetics, Microbiology, Plant Science, Environmental Biology or Biochemistry, or another relevant field. A Master’s degree with distinction (or equivalent) is strongly preferred. Applicants must demonstrate research potential in environmental sciences and meet the higher-level English Language requirements at ICL (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/english-language/).
Desirable skills/attributes: Knowledge of biodiversity measures, fungal biology and genetics, ability to carry out regular field and laboratory work, a driving licence, strong interest in molecular ecology and quantitative analyses, experience with field and laboratory work including microbiology and/or molecular skills, naturalist skills including fungal identification, and/or willingness to work across ecology–chemistry–microscopy.
How to apply: Applications should consist of a single PDF document containing a personal statement (1 page max), a CV (2 pages max) and contact details for two references. Please name the document using the format PhDApplication_2026_[First Name]_[Last Name] and send to g.delhaye@kew.org with the email subject “PhD Application mycorrhizal diversity”.
Informal Enquiries: Informal enquiries about this project can be sent to g.delhaye@kew.org
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