PhD Position under the project entitled “Developing an optimized pgSIT system to control important agricultural insect pests”

Programme type: Co-funded PhD Studentship – industry co-funded with Agragene Inc. and the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London.

Project start date: 5 October 2026

Location: Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom. Subject to feasibility, the student may undertake short visits or placements at Agragene facilities.

Meccariello Lab website: https://meccariello-lab.co.uk

Agragene Inc. website: https://www.agragene.com

Funding for: UK students

Funding amount: Fees and stipend at UKRI rates. For the academic year 2026-27, the stipend rate is £23,805 (Including London allowance). This funding amount typically increases with inflation each academic year.

Funding model: Co-funded studentship: 50% Agragene Inc. industry contribution and 50% DoLS/Department contribution.

Duration: 3 years full-time, subject to institutional regulations

Deadline for application: To be confirmed

Interviews: Between 27 July and 7 August 2026

Project Title

Developing an optimized pgSIT system to control important agricultural insect pests

Project summary

This is a co-funded industry PhD studentship embedded in a collaborative partnership between Imperial College London and Agragene Inc., the company holding the pgSIT patent and leading its commercial development.

Agricultural insect pests cause major crop losses worldwide and place pressure on food security. New, species-specific and environmentally sustainable control strategies are urgently needed to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides and improve the resilience of agricultural systems.

The Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technique (pgSIT) is an emerging CRISPR-based technology designed to generate sterile male insects through the simultaneous disruption of key fertility and sex-determination genes. This approach offers a targeted alternative to chemical pesticides for the suppression of agricultural insect pests.

Despite its promise, the efficiency, scalability and robustness of pgSIT systems require further optimisation before they can be deployed across diverse pest species and real-world agricultural settings. This project will improve pgSIT performance by refining CRISPR construct design, enhancing promoter specificity, and identifying gene targets that maximise sterility and male bias while minimising fitness costs.

Using state-of-the-art functional genomics, transgenesis and molecular tools, the project will evaluate the genetic and physiological effects of pgSIT components in selected model and applied pest species. It will also explore engineering strategies to increase transgene stability, improve egg-to-adult penetrance of the pgSIT phenotype, and facilitate scaling for mass-rearing.

The studentship

The PhD project will have the following objectives:

1. Optimise pgSIT genetic construct design for selected model and applied agricultural insect pest species;

2. Identify promoter and gene-target combinations that maximise sterility, male bias and egg-to-adult penetrance while minimising fitness costs;

3. Evaluate the genetic, physiological and developmental effects of pgSIT components using functional genomics, transgenesis and molecular tools;

4. Develop engineering strategies to improve transgene stability and support scalable mass-rearing and applied deployment of pgSIT systems.

Co-funded industry partnership

This studentship will be conducted in partnership with Agragene Inc., the industrial partner and patent holder for pgSIT technology. Agragene will contribute strategic expertise in intellectual property, product development, regulatory requirements and commercial pathways.

Research activities will be primarily based at Imperial College London, within the Department of Life Sciences. Regular meetings, data-sharing activities and joint project reviews will ensure alignment between academic innovation and Agragene’s translational and commercial objectives.

Subject to feasibility, the student may undertake short visits or placements at Agragene facilities to gain exposure to applied R&D, product optimisation and commercialisation processes. The project therefore offers a strong science-to-application pathway and substantial experience at the academic-industry interface.

Training and career development

The PhD will provide comprehensive training in molecular biology, insect genetics, CRISPR engineering, functional genomics, transgenesis, microscopy, data analysis and applied genetic biocontrol.

The industrial co-funding arrangement will also provide exposure to commercialisation processes, regulatory considerations, product development, intellectual property management and translational research strategy.

This combination of academic and industry-relevant training will prepare the candidate for the successful completion of their PhD and provide a competitive foundation for future careers in academia, biotechnology, agricultural technology or industry R&D.

Project supervisors

• Primary supervisor: Assistant Professor Angela Meccariello, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London
• Academic co-supervisor: Professor Tolga Bozkurt, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London
• External / industrial supervisor: Dr Stephanie Gamez, PhD, Agragene’s Director of R&D stephanie.gamez@agragene.com

The candidate

We are seeking a graduate (BSc, MSc or equivalent) who is motivated by cross-cutting themes in biology, biotechnology and sustainable agricultural pest control. The ideal candidate will have strong curiosity, attention to detail and an interest in molecular approaches to applied genetic biocontrol. This position is open to UK home candidates. International candidates are not eligible to apply.

Essential skills/attributes

• Applicants must hold, or expect to obtain, an Upper Second (2:1) or First Class Honours degree, or international equivalent, in a biological or related science. Candidates with a Master’s degree in addition to a BSc may be given preference.
• Ability to conduct laboratory work and computer-based analyses.
• Interest in molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, insect biology and/or sustainable pest management.
• Applicants must meet Imperial College London’s higher-level English language requirements.

Desirable skills/attributes

• Experience with molecular biology techniques, CRISPR/genome editing, transgenesis, functional genomics, insect rearing, microscopy and/or bioinformatics will be considered an advantage.
• Interest in translational research and working with an industrial partner.
• Experience handling biological data, sequencing datasets or plasmid/gene sequence analysis would be beneficial.

How to apply

Please send a CV, personal statement and contact details of two referees directly to a.meccariello@imperial.ac.uk by the application deadline, which is to be confirmed.

Interviews will be held between 27 July and 7 August 2026. After the interview, the successful candidate will need to register as a postgraduate student at Imperial College London.

Terms and conditions

The studentship will cover home fees and stipend at UKRI rates for a maximum of three years full-time, subject to institutional regulations. For the academic year 2026-27, the stipend rate is £23,805. The funding amount typically increases with inflation each academic year.

Informal enquiries

Informal enquiries about this co-funded industry PhD studentship can be sent to a.meccariello@imperial.ac.uk. Further information about the lab is available at https://meccariello-lab.co.uk.

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