PhD position Plant phytopathology (f/m/d)

The research group Biotrophy and Immunity (BIM) is offering a

PhD student position (f/m/d)

in the frame of the BMBF-funded project FreeWheat, to begin in March 2024. Your research will utilize some of the most comprehensive wheat and barley genomics and phenomics data sets and unique microphenomics technology.

FreeWheat project introduces new methods for discovering and incorporating barley's nonhost resistance factors into wheat through conventional breeding. It aims to establish lasting nonhost resistance in wheat. The project will create high-throughput microscopic phenotyping protocols, integrate them with genomic resources, and support marker-assisted breeding.

Your tasks:

• Infection assays and disease resistance phenotyping of powdery mildews and rusts
• Developing high-throughput microscopic phenotyping protocols
• Mapping and map-based cloning of disease-resistance genes
• Functional and genetic validation of resistance-associated candidate genes
• Managing wheat and barley crossing programs
• Developing markers for disease-resistance genes
• Project reporting and publishing

Your qualifications and skills:

• You hold a Master´s degree in Biology or equivalent.
• You are experienced in the field of plant-microbe interactions.
• You have a strong experimental background in molecular genetics and genomics of polyploid organisms.
• You have solid experience in standard and advanced molecular biology techniques.

You fit to us:

• if you are passionate about plant biology and plant pathology.
• if you are self-motivated and -organized.
• if you are a team player.

We offer you:

• an employment starting on 15.03.2024 or later, limited for 3 years
• A gross salary up to 65% E13 TV-L.
• Access to first-class infrastructure in phenomics, cell biology, microscopy, bioinformatics, field, and greenhouse
• Large scientific network

If you need further information, feel free to contact Dr. Dimitar Douchkov Tel.: +49 (0)39482 5285.

What you need to know:

For us, your qualifications and strengths count. Therefore, everyone – independent from gender, origin, age, or possible disability – is welcome. The IPK is striving to increase the proportion of women in sectors where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages qualified women to apply. As an institution which has been awarded the Certificate for Career and Family (“berufundfamilie”), we offer family-friendly working conditions and flexible working hours. The IPK has set a goal to employ more people with disabilities. Qualified applicants with a disability will be given preference.

Your application:

We are looking forward to receive your online-application (letter of motivation, CV, certificates) as one single pdf document (http://www.ipk-gatersleben.de/en/job-offers/ ) until 16.02.2024. If you have questions or require more information, please do contact Kerstin Schweigert (jobs(at)ipk-gatersleben.de ).

Please indicate the reference number 08/01/24 in your correspondence. Please note that incomplete application documents cannot be considered. Foreign qualifications must carry out an equivalence test in Germany, which is subject to a fee. This must be presented in the event of later hiring: https://www.kmk.org/zab/central-office-for-foreign-education/statement-ofcomparability-for-foreign-higher-education-qualifications.html .