The Plant
P
as a S
System in its Enviro
onment (thhe plant as a holobion
nt) – its pootential for agricultuure
The Reesearch Cluster
C
“RECON
“
NSTRUC
CT” funded by tthe Germ
man
Min
nistry off Educattion and Researcch (BMB
BF) annoounces 1
Techniccian posittion (100%
%, EG 8 TV-L
-L), 1 PhD
D position (50%, EGG 13 TV-öD)) and
7 Postdocc position
ns (100%, EG
E 13 TV-L
L/ TVöD)
to be filled
f
for up too three years (eextension possible) startingg earliest in Seeptember 2016
6.
Innov
vative Strateegies for Croop Improvem
ment
The keey crop modell maize (Zea mays
m
L.) thriv
ves by interactting
with an
a astoundingg number of microbes
m
which in turn aff
ffect
maize growth and hhealth. Soil tyype and root exudates
e
reguulate
soil microbial comm
munity compoosition and div
versity. The loong
term project
p
goal inn RECONSTR
RUCT is the knowledge-ba
k
ased
breedin
ng of maize lines that can interact with
w
functionaally
robust beneficial miicrobiomes, leeading to high fitness and yiield
on agrricultural soils with low nutrient
n
availaability. Empirrical
omics data generatiion will addreess the impacct of soil fertiility
includiing microbial consortia on maize producctivity. Integraated
constraaint-based ggenome-scale modelling will addrress
metabo
olite fluxes annd the microbbial communiity in interacttion
with plant
p
and soil. Experimentss with synthettic soils and ccore
microb
bial communiities under coontrolled cond
ditions will seerve
model refinement.
We
W invite applications forr the followiing projects:
-
Soil propertties and plantt yield perforrmance in thee
field and in microcosms (Mansfeldt laab, Cologne
Univ., http:///www.geograpphie.uni-koeln
n.de/index.
455.de.html; 2 yr postdoc,, TV-L)
-
Plant-micro
obiome relatioonships in fieeld and synth
hetic
ecosystems (Bucher
(
lab, C
Cologne Univ
v., http://www.
bucherlab.un
ni-koeln.de/111339.html; 3yrr postdoc,
TV-L, 3 yr teechnician)
-
Metabolic changes in maaize associateed with soil
ab, Erlangen-N
Nuremberg Unniv.,
properties (Sonnewald lab
biochemie.bioologie.uni-erlaangen.de/; 3 yrr
http://www.b
postdoc, TV-L)
-
Plant-micro
obiome relatioonships in fieeld and
synthetic ecosystems (Schhulze-Lefert lab,
l MPI
Cologne, http
p://www.mpippz.mpg.de/sch
hulzelefert; 3 yr postdoc, TVöD
D)
-
Metabolite content
c
and fl
fluxes in maizze and its
exometabolo
ome relative tto soil quality
y (Fernie lab,
MPI Golm/P
Potsdam, http:///www.mpimp
p-golm.mpg.dde/
2410/fernie; 3 yr postdoc, TVöD)
-
RUCT databaase developm
ment and
RECONSTR
modelling (U
Usadel lab, Jüllich Forschun
ngszentrum,
http://www.u
usadellab.org/ccms/; 3 yr PhD
D student)
-
Constraint-b
based modellling for integrration of omiccs data
with genomee-scale metabbolic models of
o maize
(Nikolowski lab, MPI Golm
lm/Potsdam, http://www.mp
h
pimpgolm.mpg.dee/ 13248/Zoran
an_Nikoloski; 2 yr postdoc, TVöD)
-
Maize genom
mics to bridgge the phenoty
ype to
genotype div
vide in field aand greenhou
use grown
maize (Schn
neeberger lab, MPI Colognee, http://www..
mpipz.mpg.d
de/schneebergger; 2 yr postd
doc, TVöD)
Whatt We Offer
Futuree candidates pparticipate in the
t 3-year “N
National Reseaarch
Strateg
gy BioEconoomy 2030” Program
P
(2x3 yrs extenssion
possible) which is based on ressearch and in
nnovation as the
foundaations for a knowledge- and biobased
d economy. T
The
prograam aims at pproviding our postdoctoral fellows with the
best possible
p
reseearch envirronment to develop thheir
scienttific kills andd expertise in interdiscipllinary researrch
underr field and greenhouse conditions including soil
science, molecularr plant physiiology, plantt and microbbial
genom
mics, biodiverssity, mathemattical modellin
ng.
We arre looking foor
talenteed, highly motivated appliccants with a degree as BTA
A or
CTA (technician
(
poosition), or witth a PhD degrree and a masster
or diplloma degree aand a strong background
b
in
n molecular pllant
sciencees, genetics, quantitative biology, bioiinformatics oor a
related
d discipline.
The pllace of employyment varies by
b the respective research pproject. Paymeent will be acco
ording to TV-L
L (German civil service pay scale).
Qualiffied candidatess should send their applicatiions (cover lettter describing
g their qualificcations and reesearch interessts, curriculum
m vitae,
contacct info of two rreferences, traanscripts) by indicating
i
the acronym RECONSTRUC
CT-2016 no laater than 27.0
06.2016 by e-m
mail as
one sin
ngle pdf-file too: reconstructt-2016@uni-koeln.de.
All participating innstitutions aree equal opportu
unity employeers. Applicatio
ons from wom
men are expresssly welcome. Women withh comparab
ble qualificatioons will receive particular consideration,, unless anoth
her applicant displays
d
comppelling reason
ns to prefer this person. Applications
A
ffrom suitably qualified sev
verely disabledd persons or disabled
d
persons regarded aas being of equ
ual status accoording
to Bo
ook IX of thhe German Social
S
Legal Code (SGB – Soziales Gesetzbuch)
G
are encouragedd. Disabled persons
p
with equal
qualifications willl be given prioority.