**Job Description**
This PhD project focuses on developing innovative biostimulants through interkingdom microbial consortia to enhance tomato growth, fruit yield, and stress resilience, particularly under climate change conditions, while reducing agrochemical use. The research aims to establish and apply microbial consortia on tomato cultivar MicroTom, unraveling the underlying plant physiological and molecular mechanisms, especially those related to carbohydrate metabolism, reactive oxygen species, and hormones. The project will leverage preliminary data from Trichoderma and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria to design tailored consortia, with results verified under production conditions to ensure robustness and identify predictive biomarkers. The ultimate goal is to achieve climate-smart food production and a mechanistic understanding for future biostimulant design.
**Skills & Abilities**
• Solid knowledge about working with plants and abiotic stress treatments
• Solid wet-lab experience in the field of molecular biology, plant physiology, protein analyses, and instrumental analytics of secondary metabolites
• Strong interest in plant – microbe interaction, stress biology and plant symbiosis
• Knowledge about plant – microbe interactions
• Experience in methods related to carbohydrate and antioxidant metabolism, notably including the determination of related enzyme activities
• Development and optimization of extractions procedures and analytical methods
• Performing of screenings
• Independent planning and execution of projects
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in plant – microbe interaction and mechanistic understandings
• Strong ability to interpret data and think analytically, critically, conceptually, synthetically and interdisciplinarily
• Strong social competence including interpersonal skills, teamwork and networking ability, and presentation skills
• Strong personal competence including autonomy, goal-oriented mind-set, planning/organizing/prioritizing, perseverance, problem-solving skills
• General leadership skills including ability to translate long-term goals to daily work situations (strategic time managing); be flexible to adjust one’s own behavior and thinking according to the (relevant/local) context so as to attain the desired goals (learning ability)
• Fluent English, ability to understand swiftly and express clearly
**Qualifications**
Required Degree(s) in:
• Life Sciences
• Agriculture
• Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry
• Related fields
**Experience**
Other:
• Relevant publications (if possible)
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Evidence of scientific writing and publishing
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