PhD position

The joint project "FungAlkin" is a cooperation between the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) and the company Neudorff GmbH KG. It deals with the utilization of fungal compounds as herbicide alternatives. Currently, there is an increased demand in agriculture for novel, safe herbicides. Many arable weeds are already resistant to the commercially used agents of the past decades. In FungAlkin, we want to use compounds produced by pathogenic fungi to produce herbicide alternatives for use in crop cultivation. Within the framework of the advertised position at the JKI, these compounds will be tested for their phytotoxic effect on various plant models, and the mechanism of action of the pathogenic producer fungi on host plants will be investigated using molecular biological methods and microscopy. The project is planned methodologically very diverse and involves working with various plant and fungal organisms.

Activities and responsibilities

• development of application methods for herbicidal natural substances on various model plants;
• transformation of fungi with fluorescence reporter contructs for visualization in plant tissues;
• gene expression analyses on plants and fungi, as well as ITS sequencing of the soil microbiome;
• investigation of plant physiological parameters;
• presentation of results in form of reports, oral presentations and publications.

Qualification profile

• a completed university degree in Biology, Plant Sciences or a comparable discipline;
• experience in working with plants and fungi under in vitro and greenhouse conditions;
• experience with molecular biology techniques (DNA/RNA-isolation from soil- and plant material, qRT-PCR);
• experience in evaluating gene expression and ITS-sequencing data is an asset;
• very good team, organizational and communication skills (english; german is an asset).

We offer

• a varied, challenging, and interesting interdisciplinary job in an international working environment.
• a part-time employment with 25,35 hours (65%) a week for 3 years (subject to allocation of funds) in a third party funded research project. The employment contract will be based on the collective agreement for the public service (TVöD-Ost).
• Aiming for a PhD is welcome and will be supported.
• remuneration according to salary group E 13 TVöD.
• starting date: 1st July 2024

The JKI subsidizes the Deutschlandticket for its staff, who can purchase it at a reduced subscription price of €23.28.

The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) is an equal opportunities employer. The JKI is committed to inclusion. Applications from people with disabilities are therefore expressly welcome and given special consideration in the selection process. The JKI promotes the reconciliation of work and family life and, since 2021, has been holding the audit workandfamily certificate. Where possible, we offer flexible working time models to reconcile work and family life.

Application online or direct:

Deadline: 15th of May 2024.

Direct: If you see any problems with applying online using INTERAMT (see below), send your full application with all documents as one pdf-document to email

Documents needed: Motivation letter, your CV, copies of relevant degrees and contact details of at least two references.
If you have an international degree, please also enclose a certificate evaluation from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) with your application. If you do not yet have a certificate evaluation, you would have to apply for one upon successful application. For more information, please visit https://www.kmk.org/zab/zeugnisbewertung.html.

Via INTERAMT job portal: click on the "Online bewerben" button on the INTERAMT page. Please note that the language on the INTERAMT portal is German. An overview of all vacancies at the Julius Kühn Institute can be found here. Alternatively you can simply scan the QR code at the bottom right corner with your mobile device. To apply, please register with INTERAMT at https://www.interamt.de/koop/app/registrieren or use your login if you are already a registered user. If you have any technical problems or questions regarding your registration, please contact INTERAMT directly at +49 (0) 385 4800-140 or by email. Make sure to have uploaded all relevant documents for your online application by the application deadline.

For further questions: 
Dr. Stephanie Werner
Phone: +49 (0) 3946 47-3340
email