About the project
We invite applications for a PhD position in plant vibroacoustics. This research project aims to investigate the physical basis of plants' responses to acoustic stimuli, an area with growing interest in both physics and biological sciences.
The project involves developing vibration/wave propagation models to understand plant dynamics in response to vibroacoustic stimuli across broad frequency ranges. It builds on recent biological research suggesting plants' active response to acoustic stimuli. The candidate will integrate theoretical modelling with measurements to analyse plant behaviour. If successful, you will work on determining fundamental vibration models to identify features responsible for receiving signals with given properties (e.g. frequency bandwidth). These efforts will be supplemented by the analysis of wave propagation in plant material and coupling with the surrounding medium to study energy transfer.
This project hopes to find applications in environmental monitoring, agriculture and biological sciences. This interdisciplinary study requires a candidate with a background in engineering, applied physics, acoustics, or a related field. The role includes model development, vibration/wave measurements, and collaboration with experts in related disciplines. The project offers the opportunity to contribute to a novel area of research, bridging physics and biology.
The University of Southampton is one of UK’s leading engineering research centres – an excellent venue for your research adventure. You will be joining the Dynamics Group within the University's renowned Institute of Sound and Vibration Research. Your project will benefit our cutting-edge experimental and numerical facilities, including IRIDIS - the high-performance computing cluster, and muVIS - the advanced material characterisation centre. You will also benefit from interactions with researchers in our Bioengineering group with a remarkable track record in engineering imaging of biological systems.
