September 24th, 2025

The Pallavi Singh Lab is expanding, and we are looking for highly motivated researchers to join us in advancing our research vision of understanding carbon–water balance in plants. Our research integrates molecular biology, synthetic biology, plant physiology, and advanced omics approaches, bridging lab-based discovery with real-world field translation. We collaborate with research partners across the UK, India, France, Germany, and the Philippines, engaging directly with farming communities to address the socioeconomic challenges of unstable rice production in Southeast Asia and Africa. Our research is further enhanced through entrepreneurial links with the ARIA programmes, driving insights into programmable plants and opening unique opportunities for innovative plant biology-based solutions.

Our projects benefit from the new £3.5 million STEPS facility at Essex, featuring controlled environment suites and an indoor field with advanced phenotyping capabilities. Additional support comes from the recently upgraded Microscopy Suite (>£1M) in the School of Life Sciences and the high-performance CERES computing cluster. The successful candidate will join a vibrant and friendly group of researchers in Pallavi Singh Lab, a multidisciplinary research group focused on developing climate-resilient plants. We strive for an equal, diverse and inclusive environment and care for your wellbeing. Please consult our core values and other information at (https://www.thepallavisinghlab.com/about-5-1).

We are seeking candidates with a strong interest in plant productivity and photosynthesis, along with knowledge of plant molecular biology and synthetic biology. Candidates should have excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with other members of our research group. All positions are available immediately.

Informal enquiries may be made to Pallavi Singh (e-mail: [email protected]). However, all applications must be made online.

Postdoctoral Research Associate-PlantPlug

We are seeking an exceptional and ambitious PDRA to join the ARIA-funded PlantPlug project. This ground-breaking initiative is pioneering the use of the hemi-parasitic plant European mistletoe (Viscum album) as a programmable platform to re-engineer host traits and unlock new possibilities for sustainable agriculture. The PDRA will drive the development and application of cutting-edge molecular biology and synthetic biology approaches to engineer parasitic plant systems, transforming them into tools that deliver targeted agricultural benefits. Key responsibilities include designing and executing innovative experiments to manipulate mistletoe biology, applying state-of-the-art molecular genetics, and working closely with our partner Mistletoe Trees (Chelmsford) to translate laboratory discoveries into real-world impact.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the interface of fundamental research, applied innovation, and entrepreneurship. In addition to leading high-impact science, the PDRA will gain invaluable experience in venture capital engagement, start-up building, and translational pathways, equipping them with skills that extend beyond academia. The position also provides scope for career development in project management, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentoring, and authorship of high-profile publications. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to contribute and get experience in the development of group, mentoring, in grant writing, as well as driving and being directly involved in multiple projects and research articles. While this position is fully funded, successful postdoctoral candidates who have previously joined the Plant Productivity Group have successfully competed for and obtained their own postdoctoral fellowships (e.g., Marie Curie, Human Frontiers, EMBO, etc.). This role will place you in a strong position to compete for and apply to similar prestigious postdoctoral fellowships.

Salary: £38,249 - £45,413 per annum

Duration: The post is fully funded for 18 months in the first instance, with strong potential for extension based on project progress and future funding.

How to apply (application link and job-pack): https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=3866 40bCpc&WVID=9918109NEm&LANG=USA

Apply by: October 15, 2025

Postdoctoral Research Associate-UKRI-FLF

We are seeking a motivated and ambitious PDRA to join the UKRI-funded Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) project REVOLUTION: Unravelling the regulation and evolutionary innovations in grass species to engineer high water-use efficiency in rice. The PDRA will drive discovery at the interface of molecular biology, bioinformatics, and single-cell omics to uncover the master regulators and target gene networks that underpin photosynthesis and water-use efficiency in rice.
Working with diverse Asian and African rice cultivars, the PDRA will directly test hypotheses through integrative experiments, generating actionable insights that can be rapidly translated from the laboratory to the field. This role offers the chance to contribute to a high-impact international programme. Core responsibilities include leading advanced molecular cloning, designing and conducting innovative single-cell omics experiments, integrating bioinformatics analyses to interpret datasets, and driving the preparation of at least two first-author publications. This role offers an outstanding platform for career development, placing the successful candidate at the forefront of plant molecular physiology, synthetic biology, and translational crop science.PDRA2 will also be tasked with preparing and submitting at least two distinct manuscripts arising from this research. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to contribute and get experience in the development of group, mentoring, in grant writing, as well as driving and being directly involved in multiple projects and research articles. While this position is fully funded, successful postdoctoral candidates who have previously joined the Plant Productivity Group have successfully competed for and obtained their own postdoctoral fellowships (e.g., Marie Curie, Human Frontiers, EMBO, etc.). This role will place you in a strong position to compete for and apply to similar prestigious postdoctoral fellowships.

Salary: £38,249 - £45,413 per annum

Duration: This post is fixed-term, full-time for 24 months in the first instance, with renewal potential, subject to continued funding, currently until end of 2028.

How to apply (application link and job-pack): https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=4210 77bG9E&WVID=9918109NEm&LANG=USA

Apply by: October 15, 2025

Fully funded PhD studentship

How to apply: Email explaining your interest in the project to Pallavi Singh ([email protected]). Please include (a) CV (b) Research Statement with a description of research experiences and motivation (c) Contact information of three references before 15 January 2026. Please mention FLFPhD in the email subject. Project start date will be October 2026.

Applicants to this studentship should normally have an Undergraduate degree of 2:1 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject area. A Master’s degree is desirable, but not essential. The degree and courses should be related to plant biology, molecular biology, cell biology or related. Prior experience with genetics, plants, transcriptomics, microscopy and molecular biology are assets. Candidates should also have an ability to conduct independent research, take initiative, ask pertinent scientific questions, and interact well with other scientists and students. Creativity, motivation and drive are important personal characteristics.

The minimum English language entry requirement for postgraduate research study in the School of Life Sciences is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

You will then need to follow the application process that is defined by the University of Essex.