Professor Katie Field

School of Biosciences

Professor of Plant-Soil Processes

Professor Katie Field
Profile picture of Professor Katie Field
k.j.field@sheffield.ac.uk
A01 Lab A10, Arthur Willis Environment Centre

Full contact details

Professor Katie Field
School of Biosciences
A01 Lab A10
Arthur Willis Environment Centre
Maxfield Avenue
Sheffield
S10 1AE
Profile
  • 2025 - present: Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellow, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2020 - present: Professor of Plant-Soil Processes, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2019 – 2020: Professor of Plant-Soil Interactions, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2017 – 2019: Associate Professor in Plant-Soil Processes, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2016 – 2021: BBSRC Translational Fellow, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2015 - 2017: University Academic Fellow in Plant-Soil Processes, School of Biology, University of Leeds
  • 2015: Patrick and Irwin-Packington Fellow, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2009 – 2014: Postdoctoral Research Associate (NERC), Dept. Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
  • 2005 – 2008: PhD, University of Sheffield
  • 2002 - 2005: BSc, Plant Sciences, University of Durham
Research interests

Life on Earth depends on partnerships between different species, and one of the most important is the relationship between plants and soil fungi, known as "mycorrhizas”. These partnerships have existed for over 500 million years, and likely played a key role in helping plants colonise land. The most common mycorrhizal partnership involves arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which provide plants with essential soil nutrients in exchange for sugars produced by the plant through photosynthesis. These fungi are found in nearly all plant species and are fundamental to plant and soil health, and wider ecosystem functioning. I investigate how environmental change over deep time has shaped mycorrhizal symbioses, and how these partnerships influence ecosystem functioning today. My work explores the evolution, structure, and function of ancient plant‑fungal mutualisms and their roles in global carbon and nutrient cycling, particularly under pressures such as climate change and soil degradation.

A key emphasis of my research is understanding diversity within mycorrhizal associations, and how different fungal lineages exchange nutrients and carbon with host plants in varied contexts. I investigate how these mutualistic interactions operate in different plant groups, ranging from liverworts and orchids to vascular plants, and how fungal networks may facilitate resource sharing or plant-plant signalling across ecosystems.

My approach integrates ecophysiological measurements with isotope tracing and metabolomics, enabling a detailed understanding of carbon-for-nutrient exchange and the functional roles of symbiont diversity in soil communities. This work has revealed how fungal networks can mediate nutrient distribution and foster resilience in plant communities facing biotic and environmental challenges.

My research aims to:

  • Characterise the functional diversity of fungal symbionts, including lesser-studied lineages, and their contributions to plant nutrition, carbon storage, and soil biogeochemical cycling.
  • Examine how ecological networks of mycorrhizal fungi modulate plant interactions, nutrient flows, and community dynamics in changing environments.
  • Inform sustainable land-management and agricultural practices by improving understanding of how mycorrhizal communities can be harnessed to enhance nutrient uptake and carbon sequestration at landscape scales.
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Elliott AJ, Daniell T, Cameron DD & Field KJ (2021) . Plants, People, Planet, 3(5), 588-599.
  • Hoysted GA, Bidartondo MI, Duckett JG, Pressel S & Field KJ (2021) . New Phytologist, 229(5), 2389-2394.
  • Charters MD, Sait SM & Field KJ (2020) . Current Biology, 30(10), 1801-1808.e5.
  • Thirkell TJ, Pastok D & Field KJ (2020) . Global Change Biology, 26(3), 1725-1738.
  • Hoysted GA, Jacob AS, Kowal J, Giesemann P, Bidartondo MI, Duckett JG, Gebauer G, Rimington WR, Schornack S, Pressel S & Field KJ (2019) . Plant Physiology, 181(2), 565-577.
  • Field KJ, Bidartondo MI, Rimington WR, Hoysted GA, Beerling DJ, Cameron DD, Duckett JG, Leake JR & Pressel S (2019) . New Phytologist, 223(2), 908-921.
  • Field KJ & Pressel S (2018) . New Phytologist, 220(4), 996-1011.
  • Hoysted GA, Kowal J, Jacob A, Rimington WR, Duckett JG, Pressel S, Orchard S, Ryan MH, Field KJ & Bidartondo MI (2018) . Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 44, 1-6.
  • Mills BJW, Batterman SA & Field KJ (2018) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 373(1739).

All publications

Journal articles

  • Hiscock SJ, Field KJ, Lennon S, Wilkin P & Young BJ (2025) . Plants, People, Planet.
  • Wang L, Guo S, Zhang J, Field K, Delgado Baquerizo M, de Souza T, Lee S-J, Hijri M, Shang X, Sun D , Cao H et al (2025) . Plant Communications.
  • Durant EK, Field KJ, Sallach JB, Moeskjær S, Williams A & Carter LJ (2025) . Plants, People, Planet.
  • Howard NOA, Rodriguez-Morelos VH, Allen L, Chinoruma P, Cohen LD, Hoysted GA, Jungblut AD, Lamb I, Moeskjaer S, Pinzari F , Prout J et al (2025) . Journal Of Experimental Botany.
  • Magkourilou E, Durant E, Bell C, Daniell T, Urwin P & Field K (2025) . Functional Ecology, 39(6), 1400-1410.
  • Magkourilou E, Bell C, Daniell T & Field K (2025) . Functional Ecology, 39(6), 1384-1399.
  • Howard N, Williams A, Durant E, Pressel S, Daniell T & Field K (2024) . Current Biology, 34(23), 5484-5493.e3.
  • Bate-Weldon M, Edmondson J & Field K (2024) . iScience, 27(8).
  • Ferry L, Marshall D, Field KJ, Sayer EJ, Rezende E & Meyer J (2024) . Functional Ecology, 38(7), 1462-1463.
  • Field K, Carrillo Y, Campbell SA, Ton J & Frew A (2024) . Plants People Planet, 6(6), 1153-1158.
  • Read DJ, Haggar J, Magkourilou E, Durant E, Johnson D, Leake JR & Field KJ (2024) . New Phytologist.
  • Gurung K, Field K, Batterman S, Poulton S & Mills B (2024) . Nature Communications, 15.
  • Sinanaj B, Pressel S, Bidartondo M & Field K (2024) . Functional Ecology, 38(4), 984-997.
  • Bell C, Magkourilou E, Ault JR, Urwin PE & Field KJ (2024) . Nature Communications, 15.
  • Prout J, Williams A, Wanke A, Schomack S, Ton J & Field KJ (2023) . Trends in Plant Science.
  • Watts A, Magkourilou E, Howard N & Field K (2023) . The Biochemist, 45(3), 2-7.
  • Durant EK, Hoysted G, Howard N, Sait S, Childs D, Johnson D & Field K (2023) . Current Biology, 33(12), 2566-2573.
  • Hawkins H-J, Cargill R, Van Nuland M, Hagen S, Field K, Sheldrake M, Soudzilovskaia N & Kiers ET (2023) . Current Biology, 33(11), 560-573.
  • Hoysted G, Field K, Sinanaj B, Bell C, Bidartondo M & Pressel S (2023) . New Phytologist, 238(1), 70-79.
  • Bell C, Magkourilou E, Field K & Urwin P (2023) . Applied Soil Ecology, 182.
  • Bell CA, Magkourilou E, Barker H, Barker A, Urwin PE & Field KJ (2022) . Plants, People, Planet.
  • Tao C-N, Buswell W, Zhang P, Walker H, Johnson I, Ton J & Field K (2022) . Plant Cell, 34(12), 4840-4856.
  • Gurung K, Field KJ, Batterman SA, Goddéris Y, Donnadieu Y, Porada P, Taylor LL & Mills BJW (2022) . Nature Communications, 13(1).
  • Charters MD, Durant EK, Sait SM & Field KJ (2022) . Plants, People, Planet, 4(6), 655-666.
  • Galloway AF, Akhtar J, Burak E, Marcus SE, Field KJ, Dodd IC & Knox P (2022) . Plant Physiology, 190(2), 1214-1227.
  • Howard N, Pressel S, Kaye RS, Daniell TJ & Field KJ (2022) . Physiologia Plantarum, 174(3).
  • Thirkell TJ, Grimmer M, James L, Pastok D, Allary T, Elliott A, Paveley N, Daniell T & Field KJ (2022) . Food and Energy Security, 11(2).
  • Bell CA, Magkourilou E, Urwin PE & Field KJ (2022) . New Phytologist, 234(1), 269-279.
  • Sinanaj B, Hoysted GA, Pressel S, Bidartondo MI & Field KJ (2021) . New Phytologist, 232(4), 1528-1534.
  • Field KJ, Daniell T, Johnson D & Helgason T (2021) . Plants, People, Planet, 3(5), 430-432.
  • Elliott AJ, Daniell T, Cameron DD & Field KJ (2021) . Plants, People, Planet, 3(5), 588-599.
  • Thirkell TJ, Campbell M, Driver J, Pastok D, Merry B & Field KJ (2021) . Plants, People, Planet, 3(5), 553-566.
  • Sallach JB, Thirkell TJ, Field KJ & Carter LJ (2021) . Plants, People, Planet, 3(6), 685-693.
  • PRESSEL S, BIDARTONDO MI, FIELD KJ & DUCKETT JG (2021) . Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution, 43(1), 284-306.
  • Hoysted GA, Kowal J, Pressel S, Duckett JG, Bidartondo MI & Field KJ (2021) . Mycorrhiza, 31(4), 431-440.
  • Bell CA, Magkourilou E, Urwin PE & Field KJ (2021) . Ecology and Evolution, 11(7), 2997-3003.
  • Hoysted GA, Bidartondo MI, Duckett JG, Pressel S & Field KJ (2021) . New Phytologist, 229(5), 2389-2394.
  • Galloway AF, Akhtar J, Marcus SE, Fletcher N, Field K & Knox P (2020) . The Plant Journal, 103(5), 1666-1678.
  • Charters MD, Sait SM & Field KJ (2020) . Current Biology, 30(10), 1801-1808.e5.
  • Rimington WR, Duckett JG, Field KJ, Bidartondo MI & Pressel S (2020) . Mycorrhiza, 30(1), 23-49.
  • Thirkell TJ, Pastok D & Field KJ (2020) . Global Change Biology, 26(3), 1725-1738.
  • Field KJ, Daniell T, Johnson D & Helgason T (2020) . Plants, People, Planet, 2(2), 98-103.
  • Rimington WR, Pressel S, Duckett JG, Field KJ & Bidartondo MI (2019) . Mycorrhiza, 29(6), 551-565.
  • Leebens-Mack JH, Barker MS, Carpenter EJ, Deyholos MK, Gitzendanner MA, Graham SW, Grosse I, Li Z, Melkonian M, Mirarab S , Porsch M et al (2019) . Nature, 574, 679-685.
  • Hoysted GA, Jacob AS, Kowal J, Giesemann P, Bidartondo MI, Duckett JG, Gebauer G, Rimington WR, Schornack S, Pressel S & Field KJ (2019) . Plant Physiology, 181(2), 565-577.
  • Field KJ, Bidartondo MI, Rimington WR, Hoysted GA, Beerling DJ, Cameron DD, Duckett JG, Leake JR & Pressel S (2019) . New Phytologist, 223(2), 908-921.
  • Field KJ & Pressel S (2018) . New Phytologist, 220(4), 996-1011.
  • Rimington WR, Pressel S, Duckett JG, Field KJ, Read DJ & Bidartondo MI (2018) . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285(1888).
  • Hoysted GA, Kowal J, Jacob A, Rimington WR, Duckett JG, Pressel S, Orchard S, Ryan MH, Field KJ & Bidartondo MI (2018) . Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 44, 1-6.
  • Akhtar J, Galloway AF, Nikolopoulos G, Field KJ & Knox P (2018) . Plant and Soil, 428(1-2), 57-65.
  • Kowal J, Pressel S, Duckett JG, Bidartondo MI & Field KJ (2018) . Annals of Botany, 121(2), 221-227.
  • Mills BJW, Batterman SA & Field KJ (2018) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 373(1739).
  • Galloway AF, Pedersen MJ, Merry B, Marcus SE, Blacker J, Benning LG, Field KJ & Knox JP (2018) . New Phytologist, 217(3), 1128-1136.
  • Hoysted GA, Lilley CJ, Field KJ, Dickinson M, Hartley SE & Urwin PE (2017) . Frontiers in Plant Science, 8.
  • Thirkell TJ, Charters MD, Elliott AJ, Sait SM & Field KJ (2017) . Journal of Ecology, 105(4), 921-929.
  • Pressel S, Bidartondo MI, Field KJ, Rimington WR & Duckett JG (2016) . Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 54(6), 666-678.
  • Field KJ (2016) . New Phytologist, 212(4), 836-837.
  • Field KJ, Rimington WR, Bidartondo MI, Allinson KE, Beerling DJ, Cameron DD, Duckett JG, Leake JR & Pressel S (2015) . ISME Journal, 10(6), 1514-1526.
  • Lutz S, Anesio AM, Field K & Benning LG (2015) . Frontiers in Microbiology, 6.
  • Field KJ, Pressel S, Duckett JG, Rimington WR & Bidartondo MI (2015) . Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 30(8), 477-486.
  • Field KJ, Duckett JG, Cameron DD & Pressel S (2015) . Annals of Botany, 115(6), 915-922.
  • Field KJ, Leake JR, Tille S, Allinson KE, Rimington WR, Bidartondo MI, Beerling DJ & Cameron DD (2015) . New Phytologist, 205(4), 1492-1502.
  • Field KJ, Rimington WR, Bidartondo MI, Allinson KE, Beerling DJ, Cameron DD, Duckett JG, Leake JR & Pressel S (2015) . New Phytologist, 205(2), 743-756.
  • Field K, George RM, Fearne B, Quick WP & Davey MP (2013) . PLoS ONE.
  • Brunetti C, George RM, Tattini M, Field K & Davey MP (2013) . Journal of Experimental Botany.
  • Field KJ, Cameron DD, Leake JR, Tille S, Bidartondo MI & Beerling DJ (2012) . Nat Commun, 3, 835.
  • Field KJ & Lake JA (2011) Environmental metabolomics links genotype to phenotype and predicts genotype abundance in wild plant populations. Physiologia Plantarum.
  • Lake JA, Field KJ, Davey MP, Beerling DJ & Lomax BH (2009) . Plant Cell Environ, 32(10), 1377-1389.
  • Wilson PB, Estavillo GM, Field K, Pornsiriwong W, Carroll AJ, Howell KA, Woo NS, Lake JA, Smith SM, Millar AH , von Caemmerer S et al (2009) The nucleotidase/phosphatase SAL1 is a negative regulator of drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal, 58(2), 299-317.
  • Wilson PB, Estavillo GM, Field KJ, Pornsiriwong W, Carroll AJ, Howell KA, Woo NS, Lake JA, Smith SM, Harvey Millar A , Von Caemmerer S et al (2009) . Plant Journal, 58(2), 299-317.

Book chapters

  • Thirkell T, Hoysted G, Elliott A, Field K & Daniell T (2021) , Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science (pp. 493-530). Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing
  • Field KJ, Davidson SJ, Alghamdi SA & Cameron DD (2017) , Mycorrhizal Mediation of Soil (pp. 375-393). Elsevier
  • Field KJ, Davidson SJ, Alghamdi SA & Cameron DD (2017) , Mycorrhizal Mediation of Soil Fertility Structure and Carbon Storage (pp. 375-393).
  • Rimington WR, Pressel S, Field KJ, Strullu‐Derrien C, Duckett JG & Bidartondo MI (2016) (pp. 21-32). Wiley

Conference proceedings

  • Bell CA, Field KJ & Urwin PE (2024) Plant-parasitic nematodes are SWEET. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS, Vol. 37(5) (pp 28-28)
  • Gurung K, Mills B, Batterman S, Field K, Porada P, Goddéris Y & Donnadieu Y (2021) . Goldschmidt2021 abstracts, 4 July 2021 - 9 July 2021.
  • Field K & Lake J (2008) . COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, Vol. 150(3) (pp S190-S190)
  • Field K & Lake J (2008) . COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, Vol. 150(3) (pp S197-S198)
  • Sinanaj B, Bidartondo MI, Pressel S & Field KJ () . The 1st International Electronic Conference on Plant Science (pp 88-88)

Preprints

  • Williams A, Sinanaj B, Rodriguez-Morelos V, Prout J, Howard N, Durant E, Pressel S & Field KJ (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Howard NOA, Williams A, Durant E, Pressel S, Daniell TJ & Field KJ (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Galloway AF, Akhtar J, Burak E, Marcus SE, Field KJ, Dodd IC & Knox P (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Hoysted GA, Kowal J, Pressel S, Duckett JG, Bidartondo MI & Field KJ (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Hoysted GA, Bidartondo MI, Duckett JG, Pressel S & Field KJ (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Hoysted GA, Jacob AS, Kowal J, Giesemann P, Bidartondo MI, Duckett JG, Gebauer G, Rimington WR, Schornack S, Pressel S & Field KJ (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Professional activities and memberships
  • Research Cluster Lead, Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil
  • Deputy Chair, Research Committee B, BBSRC
  • Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Plants, People, Planet
  • Senior Editor, Functional Ecology
  • Gatsby Plant Science Network Mentor