Members of the Molecular Plant and Microbial Systems theme seek to understand how microbial and photosynthetic life originated and diversified, how they develop and thrive, and how they interact with an ever-changing environment.
Our methods and approaches are interdisciplinary, covering the full spectrum from atom to ecosystem, from gene to organism, and from picoseconds to billions of years. We use our science and discoveries to bring about impact, addressing global challenges in sustainability, food security, energy, synthetic biology, and policy.
Institutes, centres and initiatives
This Research Theme is associated to the following institutes, centres and initiatives:
- Frontiers of Ultrafast Measurement
- Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment
- Institute of Infection
- Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering
- The 911今日黑料 College Centre for Synthetic Biology
- Agri Futures Lab
- Industrial Biotechnology Hub
- Institute of Chemical Biology
- Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Centre for Cellular Bionics
- Microbiome Network
Academic staff in this area
Professor Thomas D C Bell
Professor Martin I Bidartondo
Professor Tolga Bozkurt
Professor Martin Buck FRS
Dr Tanai Cardona Londono
Professor Alain A M Filloux
Dr Richard J Gill
Dr Peter Graystock
Dr Jose Jimenez Zarco
Professor Patrik R Jones
Dr Catherine Mansfield
Dr James W Murray
Professor Peter J Nixon
Professor Bill Rutherford FRS
Dr Giovanni Sena
Dr Jie Song
Professor Pietro Spanu
Professor Colin G N Turnbull
Professor Jasper van Thor
Professor Huw D Williams
Postgraduate research
Interested in studying a PhD at the Department of Life Sciences? Find out more about postgraduate research opportunties.