
Indre Navickaite
"One of the best things about my PhD is the relationship I have with my supervisors. I feel acknowledged for my efforts and I am constantly motivated to do my best."
Course
Quantum Biology"My research interests focus on microbial diversity and interactions, which I aim to investigate using DNA and RNA sequencing. In the past, I have worked with clinical samples and used sequencing approach to identify the causative agent of an infection. The PhD project expands on my experience by focusing on natural environment samples and complex microbial communities.
My PhD project focuses on soil microbial communities that are associated with wheat crops. I aim to use cutting edge technologies to investigate functional activities and structure of these microbial communities, and identify how they correlate with crop yields.
Hopefully, the results will provide a better understanding of the soil microbiome (a community of microorganisms that inhabit a particular environment) and lead towards development of sustainable crop production.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Medical Microbiology from the University of Surrey. I greatly enjoyed my undergraduate years in Surrey because of the campus life, research facilities and amazing teaching staff. Therefore, coming back to start a PhD was a wonderful opportunity that I was very excited for.
As only a first year PhD student, I am loving my time here at Surrey and look forward to the further challenges and opportunities that will arise during my programme.
One of the best things about my PhD is the relationships I have with my supervisors. I feel acknowledged for my efforts and I am constantly motivated to do my best. The guidance, teaching and respect that my supervisors give me is what helps me progress in the PhD even during the most challenging of times."
Explore our degrees in biosciences and medicine, including our PhD Quantum Biology.