Jade completed her PhD in 2018, funded by NERC as part of the GW4+ doctoral training program. Under the supervision of Professor Lynne Boddy, Dr Dan Eastwood and Dr Carsten Müller she researched the interactions of fungal mycelia within a multi-dimensional wood block system. The project used a novel ‘Rubix cube’ experimental system, in which cubes of wood pre-colonised by individual wood decay fungi are arranged in various combinations within a 3D tessellated lattice. This allowed analysis of the effects of different species combinations on, for example, wood decay rate, CO2 evolution and volatile organic compound production as well as building on previous gene expression studies conducted in 2D models to assess the activity of key genes in a more complex and dynamic 3D model system.

Jade now works for the BBSRC.

@JadeMOLeary