The Trait Diversity and Function Department explores the properties of plants and fungi and their potential applications to human health, well-being and sustainable development. We research how traits have evolved and how they function to reveal how species have adapted to particular environments and how resilient they may be to future change. This will enable better conservation of plants and fungi and identify species that we can use sustainably and equitably for the benefit of humankind. Within the Trait Diversity and Function department there are six teams: Biological Chemistry, Character Evolution, Seed and Stress Biology, Comparative Fungal Biology, Plant Health and Adaptation, and Crops and Global Change. This internship will be in the Seed and Stress Biology team, which is based at the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, in West Sussex. The research of the Seed and Stress Biology team focuses on key seed functional traits related to germination, longevity and stress in wild plant species to inform development of seed conservation and use strategies.
