In December 2018, Annalisa Bellandi undertook her 3-month Professional Internship for PhD Students in Kenya, going from student to teacher. This is her story

Plants may appear peaceful, but beneath their calm exterior, they’re locked in continuous and ever-changing chemical warfare.

If someone had asked me a few years ago if I would like to do a PhD, I would have said; “what on earth is it and what does it involve?”

In the summer of 2015 I went to Prince Edward Island, on the Eastern coastline of Canada for my PIPS* placement to research the growing craft brewing industry.

I did a 3-month internship at The British Quinoa Company. This small, Shropshire-based company specialises in the production and retailing of British grown quinoa grain and products.

What is it like to start a biology PhD at a world-leading plant and microbial research institute? We asked someone who had done it for their thoughts and advice. Here is Jo Jennings...