M.Res Plant and Microbial Biology

Course description

Plants and microbes are fundamental to food security, as well as being central to global ecosystems. So at Sheffield we study them from every angle: from the molecular level up to whole organisms, in the context of ecosystems, industry and major global challenges.

Sheffield is home to the Institute for Sustainable Food, where our world-class research expertise spans topics including plant development, plant biotechnology, soil health, genomics, food security, sustainable agriculture, photosynthesis, plant-microbe interactions, plant immunology, and climate change biology, allowing you to examine the effects of past, present and future climates on plants and the wider environment.

It is possible for students with a particular interest in agricultural or horticultural research to complete their MRes project at Enza Zaden in the Netherlands or Rothamsted Research in the UK.

Research experience
This research-focused MRes course allows you to spend 12 months embedded in one of our research groups, working alongside students and staff who are at the forefront of their research field.

Throughout your course, you’ll develop your research skills, giving you the opportunity to contribute new knowledge in your chosen area.

Whether you complete your research in the field, the lab or in industry, in the UK or abroad, your masters includes funding for your project. Previous students have conducted fieldwork in locations including Brazil, South Africa and Sweden as well as closer to home in the wonderful Peak District National Park on our doorstep.

After your degree
This MRes degree will train you in the advanced skills in experimental design, data analysis and presentation to become a research leader yourself, ready for an exciting career in industry or the environmental sector, or further study to PhD level.