Supervisors: Benjamin Stich & Asis Shestha, Julius-Kühn Institute, Groß Lüsewiz, Sanitz.

Contact: Benjamin.Stich(at)julius-kuehn(dot)de and/or Asis.Shrestha(at)julius-kuehn(dot)de

Leaves are pivotal in determining plant fitness and competitive ability because they govern the capture of light, the allocation of resources and the dynamics of growth. In sub-project A02, the first doctoral researcher will aim to isolate the molecular variants underlying leaf size variation in barley and evaluate their physiological and agronomic impacts across various agroecological contexts. The second doctoral researcher will explore the genetic basis of competition effects on plant fitness using intraspecific mixtures of barley.

*Please note that candidates interested in project A02 must submit their applications through both the TRR 341 application portal and the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)'s INTERAMT platform (please note that the pages are unfortunately available in German only). Please apply here for the first doctoral researcher position (further project details available in English  here) and here for the second doctoral researcher position (further project details available in English  here).

Supervisor:  Bart Thomma with Ute Höcker, University of Cologne, Cologne.

Contact: bthomma(at)uni-koeln(dot)de

Plant competitive ability is a key determinant of ecological success, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying plant performance at high density remain poorly understood. Building on findings that Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits density-dependent growth inhibition mediated by belowground signaling and linked to defense pathways, this project investigates the role of soil microbiota in these responses. Using diverse natural soils, we will assess plant density effects, dissect microbial contributions to competition, and examine legacy effects and plant–soil feedbacks. This work will reveal how plant–microbe interactions shape adaptive responses to crowding.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://ag-thomma.botanik.uni-koeln.de/

Supervisor:  Ute Krämer, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum.

Contact: ute.kraemer(at)ruhr-uni-bochum(dot)de

Soil pH is decisive for the species composition of natural communities and for agricultural crop production. This project on the extremophile Arabidopsis halleri uncovers the genetic, molecular functional and physiological mechanisms underlying plant adaptations to calcareous alkaline soils, which challenge iron acquisition and nutrient balancing, in particular. PhD students will pursue one or several of the following approaches: genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci, plant cultivation under controlled hydroponic conditions, transcriptomics, molecular biology, combination of physiological, biochemical and cell biological techniques, as well as computational genome assembly, analysis and annotation. 

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://www.mgpp.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/mgpp/index.html.de

Supervisor:  Stanislav Kopriva, University of Cologne, Cologne.

Contact: skopriva(at)uni-koeln(dot)de

Sulfur content in A. thaliana accessions varies by up to six-fold and the evolutionary drivers of this variation as well as the consequences for plant fitness remain poorly understood. In this project we will use physiological, metabolic, transcriptional and fitness analyses of A. thaliana accessions to provide a comprehensive understanding of how different genotypes cope with sulfur deficiency, focusing on the ecological function of sulfate transporters.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://ag-kopriva.botanik.uni-koeln.de/

Supervisor:  Tatjana Hildebrandt, University of Cologne, Cologne.

Contact: t.hildebrandt(at)uni-koeln(dot)de

Building on previously observed strong inter- and intraspecific variation in leaf protein content, this project aims to uncover the genetic and mechanistic basis of protein plasticity in plants and its ecological significance in adaptation to resource-limited environments. We will combine GWAS, QTL mapping and functional validation to identify genes controlling leaf protein content and turnover in A. thaliana. By analyzing proteome dynamics and amino-acid metabolism under stress conditions, we aim to clarify how protein metabolic plasticity contributes to adaptive strategies across species.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://ag-hildebrandt.botanik.uni-koeln.de/

Supervisor: Juliette de Meaux, University of Cologne, Cologne.

Contact: jdemeaux(at)uni-koeln(dot)de

This project stands at the cross road between ecology and population genomics. We aim to determine the extent to which genetic variation within species of a plant community is driven by random processes, dispersal limitation or by local adaptation to the environment. This project will use a community genomics approach applied to urban plant communities, in comparison with heterogeneous agricultural landscape of the Åland archipelago (Finland). We will characterize the genetic diversity of 9 plant species and explore how it covaries with ecological factors that shape the plant community. We will further use machine learning approaches to identify the genomic regions that influence the composition of the communities.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://ag-demeaux.botanik.uni-koeln.de/

Supervisor:  Andrea Fulgione, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne

Contact: fulgione(at)mpipz.mpg(dot)de

In this project, we will study how plants adapt to harsh high-latitude environments, using the Arctic-alpine perennial herb Arabis alpina as a model. The student will use population genetic modelling applied to a large-scale data set of whole-genome sequences to understand evolution and adaptation in Scandinavian A. alpina. Furthermore, we will use experimental approaches in greenhouses, growth chambers and at field sites to reveal the adaptive value of traits and genetic variants in the natural environment.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://www.mpipz.mpg.de/fulgione

Supervisor:  Juliette de Meaux, University of Cologne, with Andrea Fulgione (Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research) and Anja Linstäder (University of Potsdam), Cologne.

Contact: jdemeaux(at)uni-koeln(dot)de and/or anja.linstaedter(at)uni-potsdam(dot)de  or fulgione(at)mpipz.mpg(dot)de

Hybrization between species is a potent source for adaptation in natural plant populations. Building on an integrative analysis of genetics, ecology and transcriptomics, this project will dissect the molecular drivers of adaptive introgression in two endangered grassland species in the genus Arabis, Arabis nemorensis and Arabis sagittata. We will leverage existing mapping populations and ecological information to fine-map the genes that contribute to improve plant performance in near-natural conditions. This project stands at the interface between genetics, molecular biology and ecology. 

Supervisor: Timo Hellwig, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, with Maria von Korff Schmising (Heinrich-Heine-Universität) and Anna Lampei Bucharova (University of Marburg), Düsseldorf.

Contact: timo.hellwig(at)hhu(dot)de  and/or  Maria.Korff.Schmising(at)uni-duesseldorf(dot)de

This project investigates the ecological genetics of climatic adaptation in Hordeum murinum, a widespread wild relative of barley. The PhD student will combine fine-mapping of adaptive loci with comparative genetic and genomic analyses between H. murinum and H. vulgare. The work will integrate phenotypic, genetic mapping, and genomic data to identify adaptive genes and assess whether the underlying adaptive variation is conserved across closely related Hordeum species.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://www.pflanzengenetik.hhu.de/

Supervisor: Elena Hamann, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf.

Contact: Elena.Hamann(at)hhu(dot)de

Using a resurrection approach in natural Californian populations of Brassica rapa, this project investigates whether rapid adaptation to drought comes at the cost of reduced herbivory resistance. By comparing pre- and post-drought populations, we aim to test how growth–defense trade-offs shape plant performance under combined abiotic and biotic stress. We will combine common garden experiments, herbivory assays, metabolomics, and transcriptomics to identify resistance traits, regulatory pathways, and candidate genes underlying drought adaptation and defense evolution. Ultimately, the project will clarify how rapid evolution reshapes ecological strategies and constrains or facilitates adaptation in changing environments.

For more details, please refer to the lab website: https://www.plantecoevo.hhu.de/en/

Supervisor: Szymański, Jędrzej Jakub

Contact: j.szymanski(at)fz-juelich(dot)de

Location: Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-4 Bioinformatics, BioSC, Jülich

Project A12 of the TRR341 aims to decipher the genetic architecture of plant adaptation by integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic datasets to understand how genetic variation functions across diverse natural environments. This branch of the project leverages advanced deep-learning frameworks, such as deepCRE and deepCIS and DNA language models, to predict gene expression and transcription factor binding directly from regulatory DNA sequences. By applying these AI-driven models to the consortium's extensive Arabidopsis thaliana GWAS panel, the team will map regulatory variation to adaptive traits and prioritize causal mutations for further experimental validation. Additionally, this predictive modeling framework will be transferred to other non-model study species within the TRR 341 consortium to evaluate the conservation of these ecological adaptations across related plant lineages. Ultimately, this computational approach will deliver the mechanistic insights, functional targets, and cross-species translation tools necessary to predict plant resilience and adaptive potential in the face of changing climates.

Supervisors: Ute Höcker, Markus Stetter and Juliette de Meaux

Contact: m.stetter(at)uni-koeln.de or jdemeaux(at)uni-koeln(dot)de 

Location: Institute for Plant Sciences, Univeristy of Cologne, Cologne.

In this project we aim to combine species distribution models and quantitative genetics to understand the adaptive potential of plants to changing environments. We are therefore looking for candidates with interests in evolutionary questions and plant research.

More information on how to apply can be found here. Please search for the title of this postdoc position in the jobportal of the University of Cologne to apply.