PhD Candidate in Seedling Establishment Under Stress Location Wageningen We are looking forAre you interested to find out how plants deal with stress? Are you fascinated by the way young seedlings can sense and respond to their light environment? Do you wish to unravel the physiological and molecular pathways underlying developmental adaptations? And do you like working in a multicultural, interdisciplinary and exciting scientific environment? We are searching for an enthusiastic and motivated PhD candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project to study the impact of salt stress on seedling establishment and development in darkness and light. You will combine plant physiology with cell biology, molecular biology and bioinformatics to unravel the response of young plants to light and salt stress using different approaches. Project description Light is life. Plants use solar energy to synthesize sugars from CO2 and this provides the basis for almost all life on Earth. This photosynthesis reaction takes place in specialized, green cell organelles: the chloroplasts. Directly after germination, young seedlings develop chloroplasts from proplastids present in the embryo. This transition requires light and is part of a life-changing developmental process known as photomorphogenesis: cotyledons (embryonic leaves) separate, turn green and start photosynthesizing. When buried under the soil, the seedling’s first mission is to outgrow the darkness towards the light. This is facilitated by strong elongation of the hypocotyl (embryonic stem) and the formation of a hook in the most apical part of the hypocotyl to protect the meristem, while the cotyledons, chloroplasts and the root remain undeveloped. This developmental program is called skotomorphogenesis. Plants face various environmental stresses throughout their life. Soil salinization causes severe problems for agriculture, and global yield losses due to salinization are estimated at $27.3 billion each year. Salt (NaCl) causes osmotic stress as well as Na+ ion toxicity and affects plant growth at various levels. Despite the great research interest in physiological consequences of salt stress, very little is known about the impact of salinity on seedling photomorphogenesis and skotomorphogenesis. This project aims to identify and unravel this impact. We ask
We offerWe offer you a PhD position at the Laboratory of Plant Physiology with a gross salary per month of € 2.395,= in the first year, building op to € 3.061,= in the 4th year for a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities. At first you will receive a contract of 1 year with extension of 3 years after successful evaluation.
Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for own initiative in a learning environment.
We offer a versatile job in an international environment with varied activities in a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
More informationFor more information about this function, please contact dr. Charlotte Gommers, Project leader, by e-mail; charlotte.gommers@wur.nl. If you are interested in joining our team, please apply by uploading:
We areThe mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. We are an employer that offers equal opportunities. We are happy to receive applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of race, gender, functional impairment, religion / belief, sexual orientation or age. We believe that a diverse and inclusive working environment makes us a more relevant, competitive and resilient organization. Click here for more information about working at WUR with a functional impairment. Apply now
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