Sophie's research
Exploring genetic variations in rice to produce more resilient strains
The rice species Oryza glaberrima was domesticated in Africa between 2000 and 3000 years ago, independently to the cultivation of Oryza sativa in Asia. African rice exhibits many properties that are suited to challenging African conditions of soil and climate, such as limited water availability, lack of soil nutrients, pests and diseases. My project focuses on identifying the genes underlying these beneficial traits, which can then be translated into a crop breeding programme.
During my undergraduate degree I developed my passion for the study of genetics. I initially thought I wanted to do a developmental genetics PhD, but after gaining some experience in research, I realised I wanted do something that could have a real impact on the world. Understanding how plants work is critical to assess future food security under the current climate crisis. My project addresses this, in attempting to translate new plant subjects into future sustainable foods. I chose the University of Nottingham because of its excellence in plant science and root research.
I wanted to do something that could have a real impact on the world.
My route to PhD was quite unusual. I didn’t go to university at the typical age, instead joining the police – I was a police officer from the age of 21 to 27. Then I decided to follow my lifelong dream of being a scientist, so left the police and did an undergraduate degree. During my degree, I won a lot of internship awards and gained a lot of lab experience. This allowed me to go straight from an undergraduate degree to a PhD and that’s how I ended up at Nottingham!
After I finish my PhD, I’d like to continue working in research. Being a mature student has allowed me to establish that I am passionate about research and enjoy the arena. If I don’t stay in research, I’d like to work in a field that merges my interest in the outdoors and scientific research, such as scientific consultancy around gaining data from the enviroment.
It is great to meet people of all different ages and backgrounds – there's a really inclusive environment on campus.
The doctoral training programme has provided me with lots of training and development opportunities, such as specialist training courses that have helped me improve my bioinformatics skills. In addition, funding towards lab costs and training as part of the yearly stipend has proved invaluable, as I’ve picked a very bioinformatics-heavy PhD that has required a lot of extra training. The stipend has enabled me to attend courses and conferences, where I've been able to network with others in my field.
The group learning style, where you start your PhD training programme with around 50 other people is a fantastic way of meeting new friends, especially when you are new to a city. It is also great to meet people of all different ages and backgrounds – there’s a really inclusive environment on campus.