The Rhizosphere Group led by Prof Phil Poole at the Dept. of Biology, University of Oxford studies the development of plant roots and their relationships with microbes. The rhizosphere, a narrow region of soil surrounding roots is critical for plant-microbe interactions and, as a consequence, nutrient cycling, plant growth and resistance of plants to disease.
Research is in two major themes
- Nitrogen fixation by bacteria in legume root nodules – a highly-specific symbiotic interaction between bacteria and plants leading to the crucially important biological fixation of nitrogen
- Rhizosphere biology – investigating how plant roots affect microbial colonisation and the rhizosphere’s microbial community
Rhizosphere 
Dear Prof. Philip Poole,
First of all, I hope everything goes well with you although COVID pandemic is still underway.
This is Gaidi Ren (female), an associate Professor in Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS), Nanjing, China. My research focuses on (1) diversity and interaction of microbes in Soil/Rhizosphere and (2) N fixation in agricultural ecosystem.
I am extremely keen on the research topics in your Lab. So, I am very much determined to be trained in your lab. On Dec. 27, I sent my CV to your email (philip.poole@plants.ox.ac.uk) in the hope that you could be my host supervisor for a one-year research visit in your group. However, I haven’t gotten responses. I therefore also send you a message here. Hope one of the two reaches you in time. I would be grateful should you consider my application in your lab.
Yours sincerely,
Gaidi Ren