Do you have a background crossing the disciplines of mechanical engineering and plant science? Do you have strong design skills for creating surfaces and structures that can be applied to studying plant growth?

This is a short-term position to evaluate potential designs to study the interaction of plant and mycorrhizal fungi. The symbiotic relationship between these is responsible for an asymmetric transfer of minerals from the soil to the plant and transfer of energy from the plant to the fungi. This is important in many crops including cultivated species. Here we wish to use your skills in designing and creating microfluidic devices to allow a detailed understanding of this interaction to be elucidated.

You will bring a background spanning engineering and plant science and be able to demonstrate innovative approaches to solving problems. You will have good experience in creating fluidic devices and evaluating their performance. This post will see you working with partners who are expert in plant sciences at the University of Leeds, the University of Sheffield and University College London, together with industry. You will use your skills in interdisciplinary research to communicate your findings to researchers with a range of backgrounds.

What we offer in return

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Nikil Kapur, Professor of Applied Fluid Mechanics

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 2152 or email: [email protected]