In the frame of the DFG funded priority programme “Deconstruction and Reconstruction of the Plant Microbiota: DECRyPT” (SPP 2125) a PhD position is available for three years in the Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology of the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB – www.ipb-halle.de/en/) in Halle (Saale), Germany.

The IPB has outstanding facilities for plant research and is well integrated on the Research Campus of Halle with close ties to the Martin-Luther University and other Research Institutes in the region.

The goal of the project, which is a collaboration with the group of Prof. A. Zuccaro at the University of Cologne, is to understand how host-microbe interactions in natural soil shape and are reshaped by local and systemic responses of the root microbiome. Using barley (Hordeum vulgare) as a model host, root infection studies with the beneficial endophyte Serendipita vermifera, the pathogenic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana and microbial consortia are going to be analysed at the metabolic level. In previous work we showed the formation of diterpene and other novel phytoalexins from barley. Using mutants generated by gene editing, we will evaluate the impact of these phytoalexins in the interaction with microorganisms and in shaping the rhizosphere microbiome.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with hands-on experience in at least one of the following areas: plant-microbe interactions, metabolomics, or biochemistry of secondary metabolites. In addition, the candidate should be conversant with statistical methods, including uni- and multivariate data analyses.

The position is funded for 3 years initially. Salary is according to the German Public Service (65% of E13 TV-L).