Research Group

Ian Lidbury
Principle Investigator

Ian is a Royal Society University Research Fellow (2023-2027) and former BBSRC Discovery Fellow (2020-2023). He has interests in marine and soil microbiology.

University of Sheffield staff profile

Laila Moushtaq-Kheradmandi
Research technician (Grade 6)

Laila completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield where she focused on yeast biochemistry. Her role is primarily associated with research relating to Ian's URF.

University of Sheffield staff profile

Sophie Groenhof

PhD Student (BBSRC White Rose DTP)

Graduated from the University of Bristol (BSc and MRes) before undertaking a 3-year research technician post at the University of Exeter. 

Sophie is working on phosphatase activity in plant-associated Bacteroidota. 

Alex Connolly
PhD Student (Royal Society-funded)

Graduated from the University Sheffield in 2022 with a MBiolSci in Genetics and Microbiology. 

Their project is on understanding phospholipid catabolism in the plant microbiome.

Hannah Martin
PhD Student (Faculty-funded)

Graduated form the University of Huddersfield in 2023 with a BSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology. 

Hannah will focus on understanding the driver of bacterial recruitment in the plant microbiome.

Jessye Phillips

PhD Student (BBSRC YBDTP-funded) 

Jessye completed her MBiol at the University of Oxford in 2025.

Her project investigates how plant-associated bacteria interact with mycorrhizal fungi. The goal is to understand the mechanisms underpinning nutrient exchange in this tripartite system.

Lucia Nikolaeva-Reynolds
PhD Student (NERC ACCE+-funded)

Graduated from the University of Bristol in 2023 with an MSci in Biology. Lucia's project uses meta-omics to understand how environmental change impacts soil microbiome function. 

Cosmas Alamanjo
Co-supervised PhD Student

Cosmas is based in the Rolfe Lab (Sheffield) and is using the principles of omics to investigate the molecular mechanisms underpinning adaptive responses towards phosphorus stress and biological nitrogen fixation in cowpea. He is also investigating the utilization of labile and non-labile phosphorus in agricultural soil via the association of cowpea with phosphate solubilising microbes.