Summer Research Experience Placements 2026
Summer Research Experience Placements are a NERC-funded opportunity aimed at giving undergraduates the chance to carry out a six to ten week research project at a university. They are particularly aimed at those who are considering progressing to a PhD and may not have other routes to gain such experience. They pay a salary and can help with accommodation costs if the student is not already living in the town or city where the project is located. Full information about the scheme can be found here https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/research-skills-initiatives/undergraduate-research-experience-placements-reps/
ILESLA has up to four Summer REP projects on offer this year, being hosted by Oxford Brookes University and the Open University. The University of Oxford offers the UNIQ+ scheme https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/access/uniqplus and so if you are interested in carrying out a project at Oxford, this is the scheme you should be considering.
If you would like to apply to any of the following projects, please visit this form
Oxford Brookes Projects
Supervisor: Marco Campera - mcampera@brookes.ac.uk
Madagascar is one of the worlds hottest biodiversity hotspots, with > 95% of the terrestrial fauna endemic and found nowhere else on earth. Our research group has been studying spiders- one of the worlds most hyperdiverse taxa here since 2018. I am offering four possible project areas.
Molecular Species delimitation in highly diverse spider communities in dry forests in Northern Madagascar
This project focusses on carrying out CO1 barcode based species- delimitation analysis on highly diverse and understudied spider communities in an area of enigmatic dry forests in Northern Madagascar. Field sampling takes place every summer between June and August and specimens are collected for analysis. Four potential projects exist here focussed on one each of the main as yet unstudied spider families, all of which are highly diverse in the area (12 – 24 species across a 5,000ha forest block) and contain high numbers of undescribed species to science. These projects would therefore involve D.N.A extraction, CO1 barcode generation, and analysis of at least two individuals per morphospecies to test and revise morphological species hypotheses. You would be expected to undertake the building of a single- gene phylogeny and use this in conjunction with molecular species delimitation tools to create robust hypotheses about the numbers of species found in each of these communities, shedding light on the extraordinary untapped diversity still residing in just one small forest. We would then develop an integrative taxonomical approach towards describing the new species in peer- reviewed scientific publications.
Testing the biogeographic origin of a spider community in northern Madagascar.
This project focusses on reconstructing the likely historical source regions for the spider community here. Theory and evidence from other taxa in other regions of Madagascar show remarkable blends of Southern and Eastern African faunas, Indian subcontinent, to Indonesia and Australasia. This project would involve sequencing a large number ~100 – 200 samples and collating this genetic dataset with publicly available sequences from the Barcode of Life database to reconstruct the ancestry of different spider clades in the region. This would involve developing skills in building phylogenies and performing ancestral area reconstruction for different clades (e.g. using R packages like BioGeoBEARS). The outcomes will include a mapped set of biogeographic affinities, a preliminary reconstruction of ancestral source regions for sampled spiders, and a morphology–genetics integrative dataset that can inform future taxonomic revision.
Functional Diversity of a Northern Madagascan Spider Community
This project investigates the functional diversity of a northern Madagascan spider community using morphological trait measurements and habitat-level ecological data. Students will measure key functional traits (e.g., body size, leg proportions, eye arrangement metrics, web-building vs. cursorial traits) from multiple specimens per morphospecies for target groups to construct a trait matrix representing ecological strategies across the assemblage. By integrating these traits with habitat variables already collected in the field—including vegetation structure, microclimate, and disturbance gradients—the study will quantify functional richness, evenness, and divergence and evaluate how trait composition shifts across habitats. Functional space analyses and ordinations (e.g., PCA, PCoA, Gower-distance trait matrices) will be used to identify niche differentiation and assess whether environmental filtering or niche diversification is shaping community structure. The outcomes will include a curated morpho-functional trait database tied to voucher specimens, estimates of functional diversity metrics for each habitat type, graphical summaries of trait space and community structure, and a synthesis identifying the ecological drivers of spider functional diversity in northern Madagascar.
Species Boundaries and Genetic Diversity in the Malagasy Kleptoparasitic Spider Genus Lokitandroka
This project investigates species boundaries and genetic diversity within the recently discovered kleptoparasitic spider genus Lokitandroka (Argyrodinae), that is morphologically subtle and behaviourally specialised lineage endemic to Madagascar. Using a broad set of specimens collected across multiple regions of the island, students will generate COI barcode sequences to examine lineage structure, identify potential cryptic species, and assess geographic patterns of divergence. Phylogenetic reconstruction and species-delimitation approaches (e.g., ABGD, ASAP, bPTP) will be used to compare molecular clusters with existing morphological variation, incorporating integrative taxonomy to evaluate whether genetically distinct lineages correspond to recognised or novel species. This work will help clarify the evolutionary history of Lokitandroka and shed light on the diversification of kleptoparasitic Argyrodinae within Madagascar’s heterogeneous landscapes. We also test the theory that there is considerable (>30 undescribed species) across Madagascar. Outcomes will include a curated COI dataset covering the geographic range of Lokitandroka, phylogenetic trees and species-delimitation results, identification of candidate cryptic species, and a blueprint for an integrative taxonomic interpretation of species boundaries within this unique kleptoparasitic lineage.
The Open University Projects
Responses of a species-rich grassland at a long-term climate chage experiment: RainDrop
Supervisor Clare Lawson Clare.lawson@open.ac.uk
Proposed start date 8th June 2026
RainDrop is a long-term field experiment investigating the effects of rainfall change on a species-rich calcareous grassland. The experiment is a collaboration between the Open University and Oxford and one of only two grassland climate change experiments in the UK. In this placement you will contribute to field data collection, laboratory sample processing and work with 10 years of data from this experiment to explore species and community responses to the rainfall manipulation.
Project Description
A feature of climate change predictions in the UK are changes to rainfall patterns. Summer rainfall will decrease, but the intensity of rainfall events might increase. Changes to rainfall will have profound impacts for terrestrial ecosystems. Calcareous grasslands are ecosystems with high conservation value because they are species rich but are now limited in extent due to conversion to arable land. To understand how these ecosystems respond to changing rainfall and water availability, the RainDrop experiment was established on a calcareous grassland site at Wytham, near Oxford, in 2016. A collaboration between the Open University and the University of Oxford, the experiment consists of coupled rainfall interception shelters and irrigation systems to provide in situ rainfall manipulation treatments. The interception shelters provide a 50% reduction in rainfall using transparent guttering to simulate the drier conditions expected in the future. A 50% increase in rainfall intensity at each event is simulated by irrigating an adjacent plot with the intercepted rainfall. A procedural control treatment, with inverted guttering, has been used to test the effects of the shelters without adjusting the rainfall, and a control plot with no treatment is included in each treatment block, which is replicated 5 times across the site (Figure 1). Treatments are applied for six months over the growing season (April-October). Recently, the procedural control has been reconfigured to provide continuous rainfall reduction all year, capturing the important early spring period.
Annual botanical surveys and biomass collections have conducted at the site to investigate how the plant communities are responding to the rainfall treatments. In this placement, you will engage in field, laboratory and desk-based work, working both alongside supervisors to learn new skills and independently on your own sample and data processing. Firstly, you will contribute to the annual data collection in the field, where you will be introduced to botanical surveys and assist with the data recording and biomass sampling. You will then, following training, take the lead on sample processing and the determination of biomass yield, and collating this year’s data into the long-term data set. This will provide you with an insight into the process and practicalities that underlies the data collection, as you will then work with the full 10-year data set and contribute to the analysis of this unique data set. Your objective will be to run statistical analyses on the data to identify the species and plant functional groups displaying the strongest responses to the treatments. You will also have the opportunity to work alongside collaborators from Oxford as well as join group meetings and hear about other research projects at the OU.
If time permits, you will also have the opportunity for further field work to collect physiological data from those species identified as showing a strong response to the treatments. Together with your project supervisors, you will identify key plant physiological traits to focus on and quantify these with field measurements on the target species. This will provide you an introduction to the processes and measurements of leaf gas exchange and leaf reflectance, providing information that link the community responses to plant function. These processes also form the basis of information that is fundamental to ecosystem models and remote sensing of vegetation, and the approaches that are used to investigate ecosystem processes at scale.
Project Timeline
Week 1: project familiarisation
Week 2: field work – botanical surveys and biomass harvest
Week 3: sample processing and data entry
Week 4: sample processing and data analysis
Week 5: field work – physiology measurements
Week 6: data analysis
Week 7: data analysis
Week 8: data analysis and short group presentation
This placement will suit a student with familiarity with coding (R or python) with an interest in biodiversity or ecosystem processes and enjoys being outdoors.
Background reading and references
Jackson, J.; Middleton, S. L.; Lawson, C. S.; Jardine, E.; Hawes, N.; Maseyk, K.; Salguero‐Gómez, R. and Hector, A. (2024). Experimental drought reduces the productivity and stability of a calcareous grassland. Journal of Ecology, 112(4) pp. 917–931.
Fenollosa, E.; Fernandes, P.; Hector, A.; King, H.; Lawson, C.S.; Jackson, J. and Salguero‐Gómez, R. (2024). Differential responses of community‐level functional traits to mid‐ and late‐season experimental drought in a temperate grassland. Journal of Ecology, 112(10) pp. 2292–2306.
Jackson, J.; Lawson, C.S.; Adelmant, C.; Huhtala, E.; Fernandes, P.; Hodgson, R.; King, H.; Williamson, L.; Maseyk, K.; Hawes, N.; Hector, A. and Salguero‐Gómez, R. (2022). Short‐range multispectral imaging is an inexpensive, fast, and accurate approach to estimate biodiversity in a temperate calcareous grassland. Ecology and Evolution, 12(12), article no. e9623.
Using outdoor sugar stations to collect and detect environmental insect and microbial DNA: a proof-of-concept study
Supervisor: Dr Corrado Minetti corrado.minetti@open.ac.uk
Proposed start date: 3rd August 2026
This project explores a smart, low-cost way to monitor mosquito diversity without traps or microscopes. We’ll test whether visiting insects (and the microbes they carry) can be detected from the environmental DNA (eDNA) deposited on outdoor sugar “stations” using molecular tools. This proof‑of‑concept could provide important data for applying the method to pollinator insects in the future.
Project Description
Monitoring insect diversity and abundance remains a resource-intensive task, mostly relying on trapping and visual identification. Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a promising alternative by enabling species detection without direct capture. Additionally, this approach allows the detection of microbes carried by the insects themselves. Previous studies showed that eDNA from pollinator insects and plant pests can be recovered and sequenced from flowers [1], and mosquito-borne viruses has been detected using outdoor scented sugar ‘stations’ [2]. Mosquitoes represent a relevant model to study. Both sexes visit plants to feed on nectar and other naturally occurring sugars, and previous studies showed that they salivate on sugar-soaked filter paper when offered the chance. Male mosquitoes are usually excluded from traps, so collecting their eDNA could potentially increase the chances of detection. The proposed proof-of-concept project aims to evaluate whether outdoor sugar stations can passively collect eDNA from visiting insects (mosquitoes) and their associated microbes. The long-term goal is to develop more cost-effective, scalable, and species-adaptable monitoring tools with applications in biodiversity conservation, agriculture, and One health in the UK and abroad.
Objectives
The first objective is to demonstrate that both insect and microbial DNA is deposited onto the sugary substrate offered to mosquitoes for feeding and is amenable to detection by loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) and bacterial 16S amplicon sequencing. The second objective is to assess whether the principle works in the field by deploying outdoor sugar stations.
Methodology
Sample collection and DNA extraction
Larvae of the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) will be collected from previously identified breeding sites around the Open university campus and brought to the laboratory. They will be reared until they reach adulthood inside an insect rearing cage. Female and male adult mosquitoes will be separated in two different cages to test for potential differences in eDNA/RNA deposition between sexes. Mosquitoes will be offered the sugar substrate device (shown in Figure 1A), positioned hanging from the top of the cage. The phenyl acetaldehyde acts as a floral scent attractant, while the food colouring dye allows visual confirmation of feeding. Mosquitoes will be allowed to feed on the sugar substrate until observation of the food dye in their abdomen is confirmed visually. Mosquitoes confirmed to have fed with the solution will be killed and dissected to isolate their legs (to capture potential surface microbial/insect DNA deposited when the mosquito lands) and salivary glands (to capture microbial/insect cells or nucleic acids deposited within the saliva). In parallel, to test the sugar station concept under natural conditions, stations based on a previously published design (Figure 1B) will be deployed in the field at the same location where mosquito larvae are collected. Stations will be tied to a tree branch and left in situ for a maximum of 48 consecutive hours before collection. Total DNA will be extracted using a commercial kit from the mosquito legs and salivary glands (pooled separately and by species and cage) and the filter papers (from the cages and the field)
LAMP assay testing and 16S sequencing
The extracted samples will be tested for Culex pipiens DNA amplification using previously published primers for the species [3] in a loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) assay allowing in-tube colorimetric assessment of DNA amplification. The assay will be optimized for sensitivity and specificity and its analytical sensitivity tested. The DNA from a subset of samples (including both mosquito salivary glands, legs, and filter papers) will be sent externally to a sequencing company for bacterial 16S amplicon sequencing to identify the bacteria potentially transferred from the insects onto the sugary substrate used in the sugar stations.
Project timeline
Week 1 (3-7/08/26): Mosquito and sugar stations collections
Week 2-3 (10-21/08/26): DNA extractions and aliquots sent for 16S sequencing; LAMP assay testing; sugar stations collections (cont.)
Weeks 4-5 (24/08-4/09/26): LAMP assay testing (cont.), analysis of 16S sequencing data
Week 6 (7-11/09): Analysis wrap-up and project report writing
This project would suit a candidate with a basic knowledge of and/or interest in entomology (mosquitos and vectors are a plus), microbiology, DNA detection and sequencing tools alongside a willingness to work in the field.
Background reading and references
1. Johnson, M.D., et al., Environmental DNA metabarcoding from flowers reveals arthropod pollinators, plant pests, parasites, and potential predator–prey interactions while revealing more arthropod diversity than camera traps. Environmental DNA, 2023. 5(3): p. 551–569. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.411
2. Steiner, C.D., et al., Scented Sugar Baits Enhance Detection of St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile Viruses in Mosquitoes in Suburban California. Journal of Medical Entomology, 2018. 55(5): p. 1307–1318. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjy064
3. Kamber, T., & Mathis, A. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for Aedes and Culex species and evaluation of a simple DNA preparation method for field application. Journal of Applied Entomology, 2024. 148, 746–750. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13273.
