Deadline: January 31 2021
The Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich is seeking a doctoral student to join the Molecular Plant Breeding group and work on Understanding the role of stomatal traits in tree crop productivity and climate resilience. The PhD position is being offered for 36 months.
About the PhD Programme
Leaf physiology is critical for plant survival because it determines energy production, controls water loss, and modulates environmental responses. Specialized cells on the leaf surface, called stomata, are instrumental in these functions and are acutely sensitive to air temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and water availability. This sensitivity makes them attractive targets for improving plant resilience to climate change. Recent genetic advances in model systems have established that manipulation of stomatal traits can improve said resilience, but tree species are less amenable to these techniques for various reasons. However, it is possible to identify natural variation in these traits of interest and incorporate these features into breeding populations for the improvement of plant resilience and in support of sustainable food systems.
Duties and Responsibilities
They are looking for a doctoral student to work on stomatal development and function in apple trees, in an effort to identify traits that increase tree crop productivity and promote climate resilience.
The project will include elements of plant ecophysiology and plant genetics to investigate the phenotypic differences in stomatal traits across a large and diverse genetic collection of apple accessions and breeding progeny. The differences within the collection will be used to identify the genetic loci determining the stomatal traits and evaluate the role of stomata in tree crop performance under diverse environmental conditions.
With this project, they aim to identify apple genotypes which may be advantageous under future climatic conditions and develop genetic markers that can be utilized by breeding programs in the production of novel apple germplasm. This research will also contribute to our basic understanding of how stomatal traits vary within an agricultural crop and how that variation affects plant ecophysiology.
Eligibility
- Successful candidates should have a background in plant ecophysiology and/or plant genetics, with an emphasis on the former.
- A strong desire to perform field research and travel (locally and abroad) is required and past experience is a benefit.
- Effective writing and communication skills in English are essential.
- The student will be matriculated at ETH Zurich and have a 100% working contract for 36 months, for which the salary will follow the regulations of ETH Zurich.
- They will live and work in Switzerland, although the country of origin is not limited.
Application
To apply for this position, they look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:
- A cover letter describing your motivations, fit for the position, and passion for plant science
- A comprehensive CV; detail any plant ecophysiology training and/or field research
- Transcripts of previous degrees
- Three professional references
Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2021. Expected start date is April or May, 2021.
Please note that they exclusively accept applications submitted through their online application portal link below. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
Further questions about the position, please contact Dr. Graham Dow by email: graham.dow@usys.ethz.ch (Do not send applications!)
For more information about the Molecular Plant Breeding group, Visit the institution website
To apply for this Vacancy, Click here
