Dr Joe Roberts

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

Agriculture and Environment, Harper Adams University

Scientific Background

Research Interests

I am an applied entomologist with a PhD in invertebrate chemical ecology from Harper Adams University (UK), whose expertise sits at the intersection of biology, analytical chemistry and agriculture. He studies plant-insect interactions from a chemical perspective to develop novel pest management tools that reduce societal reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides in global agricultural production systems.

Research Groups

Entomology Group

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Student-centred, supportive, goal-driven.

Provision of Teaching

Initial training will be led by myself before transitioning into an independent, student led approach during your second and third years. I am always happy to provide guidance, however, and encourage my PhD students to work collaboratively to support one another.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I will set out my expectations of your progression on a monthly basis. If these progression criteria are not met we will always discuss a plan of action together.

Communication

I am known to email my team/PhD students at all hours of the day and night, however I will not expect you to do the same. The team has a WhatsApp group chat with which we regularly communicate during the week and weekends. Whilst I expect you to keep up with my communications I will expect you to manage your work/life balance.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per month. These meetings will be face to face. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings) I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 2 weeks' notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Scentinels of War: Mobilising Aphid Natural Enemies Using Plant Defence Elicitors

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Scentinels of War: Mobilising Aphid Natural Enemies Using Plant Defence Elicitors

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Alex Watson-Lazowski, Dr Ben Clunie, Prof Tom Pope

University of Registration: Harper Adams University

BBSRC Research Themes:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Plant and Crop Science)
Understanding the Rules of Life (Plant Science)

Project Outline

Aphids cause significant crop losses through feeding damage and virus transmission. Conventional agriculture relies on pesticides, but these negatively impact human and environmental health whilst facing increasing resistance. Plant defence elicitors like methyl salicylate and cis-jasmone offer sustainable alternatives by reinforcing innate immune systems and recruiting natural enemies. Research in Brassica species shows promising results with reduced aphid populations and increased parasitism following cis-jasmone applications. However, molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood, limiting commercial optimisation and use. This project addresses these knowledge gaps using economically important brassica crops.

Objectives

O1 - Determine whether elicitor-treated brassicas alter aphid settlement, reproductive success and predator visitation.

O2 - Quantify elicitor impact on agronomic traits including photosynthetic rate and yield.

O3 - Characterise transcriptional responses using RNA-sequencing to identify activated defence pathways.

O4 - Quantify volatile organic compound changes and correlate with gene expression patterns and pest resistance.

Methods

Brassica seedlings will be grown under greenhouse conditions and treated with elicitors at the two-leaf stage. Aphid settlement, reproduction and natural enemy recruitment will be assessed through established laboratory experiments (Ali et al., 2021; Zimba et al., 2022). Agronomic impacts will be evaluated using gas exchange measurements, fluorescence analysis, and growth/yield phenotyping. RNA-sequencing at multiple time points (6h, 24h, 48h, 7 days) post-treatment will characterise transcriptional changes. Volatile profiles will be analysed using headspace sampling and GC-MS, correlating gene expression with chemical emissions.

Co-supervisor on projects with: Dr Simon Segar, Dr Ben Clunie, Dr Kanthu Mhango, Prof Simon Jeffery, Prof Tom Pope, Dr Matt Black, Dr Alexander Watson-Lazowski