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Plant geneticist

A plant geneticist studies the fundamental processes of plant development conducting tests on different types to develop useful traits, such as disease resistance, appearance and drought tolerance

Training, qualifications and skills BSc degree is essential; a MSc is usual, PhD degree is essential
Career progression opportunities Assistant professor, lecturer, industrial research, journal editor, science communication roles
Useful links Plant Moves
Plantae
Find a PhD
British Society for Plant Pathology

Focus on: Plant scientist

Scott Hayes
Wageningen University
Full time, salary up to £50k
Netherlands

Simply put, I study how plants grow. In the future, this knowledge should lead to an ability to develop crops that are more resilient to climate change. I am passionate about my research and often excited to go into the lab. Academia is rarely 9 to 5 (you don’t know when that next big idea will hit) and it does require a lot of training.

I would strongly recommend this career to anyone enthusiastic about understanding the natural world. Discovering something for the first time is exhilarating!

My research has taken me across Europe and given me friends around the world. My job also involves teaching students and communicating my research to the wider public. All in all, it’s a very fulfilling profession.

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.