Article Science Learning

Beyond research: the unexpected opportunities of a Year in Industry

Poppy is a third-year undergraduate Ecology student from the University of York. As she enters the last few months of her Year in Industry at Earlham Institute, Poppy reflects on the unexpected learnings and opportunities to develop that come with a placement year.

09 June 2026
Poppy Leslie

During my first two years of my undergraduate degree in Ecology at the University of York, I developed a strong interest in the application of genomics and bioinformatics to understand environmental systems and evolution, leading me to apply for a Year in Industry at the Earlham Institute in Norwich.  

I was particularly motivated to gain first-hand experience with these cutting-edge approaches, whilst also exploring whether a career in research would suit me.  

Although these were some of my initial reasons for applying, my experience so far has definitely exceeded my expectations!  

My research project this year, based in the Hall Group, investigates the evolution of lifestyle within Gaeumannomyces, a fungal genus that includes both destructive pathogens such as Gaeumannomyces tritici (the cause of destructive wheat root disease take-all), and beneficial endophytes like Gaeumannomyces hyphopodiodes.  

Under the supervision of Drs Rowena Hill and Mark McMullan, I’m exploring how fungal structures differ between pathogens and endophytes, the evolution of this lifestyle diversity within the genus, and the genomic regions underpinning these differences.   

As I’m heading into the last couple of months of my project, I am keen to share what a year in industry at the Earlham Institute really looks like - the unexpected opportunities, skills I’ve developed, and how it is shaping my future plans.   

Year in Industry student Poppy Leslie

Year in Industry student Poppy Leslie

Learning through collaboration

When I first joined the Earlham Institute, I expected to spend most of my time focused on the narrow details of my own project. However, I’ve realised that one of the best parts of research is how collaborative it is, especially at the Norwich Research Park which is unique in having such a wide range of expertise.  

Despite the different research institutes each having their own speciality, their various seminars, training sessions and facilities are open to everyone. This makes it easy to connect across groups, and those conversations often lead to interdisciplinary collaboration and new ideas. 

A good example in my case is microscopy, an area I had very minimal experience in at the beginning of my placement. Collaborating with the John Innes Centre Bioimaging team, who provide a range of custom, state-of-the-art microscopy tools, opened the door to technologies and techniques I didn’t even know existed.  

One of the most exciting was using a vibratome to cut 30 micrometre cross-sections of wheat roots. These ultra-thin sections revealed how fungal structures colonise root architecture, leading to new research questions and experimental directions within my project. 

30 micrometre cross-sections of wheat roots

30 micrometre cross-section of a wheat root infected with the pathogenic Gaeumannomyces tritici. Using aniline blue staining, I can see where lesions form and where hyphae grow throughout the root. 

Microscopy image of root hosting soil fungi

Gaeumannomyces hyphopodiodes hyphal structure within wheat roots. 

This collaboration extends beyond the research park too, with our lab having a fortnightly ‘take-all working group’ meeting with Dr Kim Hammond-Kosack and colleagues at Rothamsted Research. 

This connection led me to spend a week at Rothamsted learning about the Take-All field trials, bringing a broader, ecosystem-level perspective to contrast the narrower, microscopic angle I’m taking with my project.

Year in Industry student Poppy at the Rothamsted Field Trials

Sampling for roots in the field at Rothamsted Research to assess how take-all susceptibility varies across different wheat cultivars. 

 I’ve realised that one of the best parts of research is how collaborative it is, especially at the Norwich Research Park which is unique in having such a wide range of expertise.

Research Independence

Another aspect I wasn’t anticipating but I’ve really enjoyed is the freedom and autonomy to explore my own interests within my project. My supervisors Rowena and Mark have been fantastic at introducing me to new concepts and techniques, while also giving me the independence to help shape the direction of my work.  

For example, after attending a workshop on machine learning organised by the Advanced Training team here at the Institute, I was inspired to apply some of the techniques I’d learnt to my own project. 

This led me develop a preliminary classifier to begin to quantify fungal colonisation in roots, an entirely new direction that wasn’t planned at the start of my project. 

Gaining experience in experimental design, trying out different approaches and discovering what I enjoy has been really rewarding. I now feel more confident going into my dissertation next year, as well as more open to the possibility of pursuing a PhD in the future.   

The breadth of opportunities at the Earlham Institute and across the Norwich Research Park has pushed me to grow in ways I never expected, from introducing me to new computational approaches to building confidence in communication.

Building confidence in communication

However, a year in industry isn’t just about developing technical skills and as someone who is more introverted, public speaking definitely wasn’t something I naturally gravitated towards. Yet I’ve had access to a wealth of opportunities to share my research and build my confidence including presenting a poster at the Centre for Microbial Interactions conference, leading lab meetings, and presenting at the EI Plant Genomics journal club.  

With each experience, my confidence grew and I realised I was actually enjoying it! This is very much down to the institute’s supportive atmosphere and the freedom a placement year provides to give things a go in a low-pressure environment.  

Poppy presenting a research poster at the CMI conference

Presenting my first poster at the Centre for Microbial Interactions conference in March, where I won second place in the poster competition

I’ve also learned that communication goes far beyond talking to other scientists. Effective science communication is essential for educating the public, building trust and it’s also a refreshing break from day-to-day experiments!  

One of my favourite experiences was volunteering with the CMI’s Microbe Zoo at the Norwich Science Festival, a two-week event centred around making science fun and accessible for all ages. Seeing people genuinely excited about soil and plant health was incredibly fulfilling and really reinforced the broader context of my work.

Inside the Microbe Zoo exhibition, shows a dark tunnel with LED multicoloured lights

The Microbe Zoo's light up soil tunnel to demonstrate the dynamic and complex nature of soil.

Overall, my year in industry has transformed how I see scientific research, not just as a set of techniques and methods, but as a collaborative, creative and dynamic process. 

The breadth of opportunities at the Earlham Institute and across the Norwich Research Park has pushed me to grow in ways I never expected, from introducing me to new computational approaches to building confidence in communication. 

For anyone curious about a future in research, a year in industry is an incredible place to start! 

PhD and Year in Industry students networking during a poster presentation break at an EI conference

Year in Industry programme

Applications for our Year in Industry programme open annually in October. Earlham Institute welcomes up to two undergraduate students enrolled in a degree programme with a placement year.

Year in Industry programme
Tags: Year in Industry, Pathogens, Bioinformatics

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