Exeter Mechanical Ecology Lab
@mechecolab.bsky.social
We study how plants deal with the physics in their life or use physical principles to their advantage. We also love whacky plants, so we work a lot with carnivorous pitcher plants.
You will use either carnivorous pitcher plants or floating aquatic plants as models to study the interplay of cuticular composition and surface topography in determining wetting and water spreading, as well as the genetic underpinnings of surface development and modification.
July 16, 2025 at 8:57 AM
You will use either carnivorous pitcher plants or floating aquatic plants as models to study the interplay of cuticular composition and surface topography in determining wetting and water spreading, as well as the genetic underpinnings of surface development and modification.
Looking for a #phdposition? We have 2 #fundedphd positions available from October 2025. The projects investigate how plants modify the wettability of their leaf surfaces. More info at mechanicalecology.exeter.ac.uk/page_id=121. #phd #phdopportunity #phdscholarship
July 16, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Looking for a #phdposition? We have 2 #fundedphd positions available from October 2025. The projects investigate how plants modify the wettability of their leaf surfaces. More info at mechanicalecology.exeter.ac.uk/page_id=121. #phd #phdopportunity #phdscholarship
Amazing crowd at the Royal Society #SummerScience Exhibition today! We're having a blast! And they even put our exhibit right under the portrait of J.D. Hooker... Coincidence or cunning move?
July 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Amazing crowd at the Royal Society #SummerScience Exhibition today! We're having a blast! And they even put our exhibit right under the portrait of J.D. Hooker... Coincidence or cunning move?
Do you want to hear me talk about the joys of field work and learn how insect-eating pitcher plants outsmart super-sticky ant feet, all that while sipping a cold beer? Then come to next week's @pintofscience.uk pintofscience.co.uk/event/insect... at City Gate Hotel Exeter!
May 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Do you want to hear me talk about the joys of field work and learn how insect-eating pitcher plants outsmart super-sticky ant feet, all that while sipping a cold beer? Then come to next week's @pintofscience.uk pintofscience.co.uk/event/insect... at City Gate Hotel Exeter!
Always mesmerising to watch a locust moult into adult...
May 12, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Always mesmerising to watch a locust moult into adult...
Using a focused ion beam to cut a window into the trapping surface of a carnivorous pitcher plant - how cool is that??! 😁🤩😜
April 29, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Using a focused ion beam to cut a window into the trapping surface of a carnivorous pitcher plant - how cool is that??! 😁🤩😜
Thrilled to be able to use one of the very few existing cryo OrbiSIMS systems in the world over the next three days to look at pitcher plant surfaces! @uniofnottingham.bsky.social
April 28, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Thrilled to be able to use one of the very few existing cryo OrbiSIMS systems in the world over the next three days to look at pitcher plant surfaces! @uniofnottingham.bsky.social
Poster prizes at conferences rarely go to Masters students because they naturally have fewer data to show than PhDs and postdocs. Really pleased to see my MbyRes student Igor win the runner-up prize at the UK Plant Biomechanics Day last Friday! Proud supervisor 👏😁👊
April 4, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Poster prizes at conferences rarely go to Masters students because they naturally have fewer data to show than PhDs and postdocs. Really pleased to see my MbyRes student Igor win the runner-up prize at the UK Plant Biomechanics Day last Friday! Proud supervisor 👏😁👊
Merry Christmas from the Mechanical Ecology Lab!!
December 25, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Merry Christmas from the Mechanical Ecology Lab!!
Still time to apply for this interdisciplinary #PhDposition in #PlantScience #biomechanics #climatechange. Join a friendly and fun lab, shoot stuff at plants for #science, and learn how to use machine learning for high-speed video analysis. Deadline 11 December for a start in September 2025.
November 28, 2024 at 12:37 PM
Still time to apply for this interdisciplinary #PhDposition in #PlantScience #biomechanics #climatechange. Join a friendly and fun lab, shoot stuff at plants for #science, and learn how to use machine learning for high-speed video analysis. Deadline 11 December for a start in September 2025.
Another exciting #PhD opportunity in our lab: combine interdisciplinary approaches in lab and field to study the relationship of carnivorous pitcher plants and their prey:
November 26, 2024 at 2:32 PM
Another exciting #PhD opportunity in our lab: combine interdisciplinary approaches in lab and field to study the relationship of carnivorous pitcher plants and their prey:
Lots of great #PhD projects available in this year's BBSRC SWBio Studentship competition, including this one in our lab. Apply by 11 December to join us in beautiful Exeter in September 2025!
November 21, 2024 at 10:42 AM
Lots of great #PhD projects available in this year's BBSRC SWBio Studentship competition, including this one in our lab. Apply by 11 December to join us in beautiful Exeter in September 2025!
👋 Hello #PlantScience and #Biomechanics community on BlueSky! Like so many others, we've jumped the X ship, hoping for a better, brighter, more open experience here! Please follow us and check out our website at mechanicalecology.exeter.ac.uk! Here's a pitcher plant picture added for good measure...
November 20, 2024 at 11:50 AM
👋 Hello #PlantScience and #Biomechanics community on BlueSky! Like so many others, we've jumped the X ship, hoping for a better, brighter, more open experience here! Please follow us and check out our website at mechanicalecology.exeter.ac.uk! Here's a pitcher plant picture added for good measure...