The Graduate School
at the IPK
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Dr. Nicolaus von Wirén
Administrative coordinator: Dr. Britt Leps
The IPK Gatersleben and Martin-Luther University establish a graduate school entitled “Yield Formation in cereals – overcoming
yield-limiting factors”. The school has been funded under the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation 2012 program by the
Leibniz Association, and represents the IPK and MLU’s goal of establishing a joint graduate school which takes advantage of both
institutions’ academic excellence in crop plant research. The graduate school is a structural component of the newly established
“Science campus Halle plant-based bioeconomy”.
Structural framework
ScienceCampus Halle
„Plant-based bio-economy“
LeibnizGraduate
School
Other LeibnizGraduate
Schools
Graduate Programs of the
Martin-Luther University
Faculty for Natural Sciences I (Biology)
Faculty for Natural Sciences III (Agricultural Sciences)
Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Development of the
IPK graduate school
Leibniz-funded graduate school
“Yield formation in cereals –
overcoming yield-limiting factors”
(8 PhD candidates)
PhD program at the IPK
with PhD seminars, PSSC
conference, workshops etc.
(total > 80 PhD candidates)
IPK Graduate School
(open to all PhD candidates)
Goals of the graduate school
• to provide the basis for a target-oriented and structured
progression of the doctoral study
• to offer a wider range of technical and scientific support as well as
personal assistance
• to ensure a high quality of scientific work within the framework of
the doctoral study
• to establish a mutual responsibility between the PhD student and
the supervisor
• to better recognize the individual potential and to adapt training
and educational needs to individual skills and qualifications
• to promote besides scientific excellence also personal competences
Elements of the
educational concept
Common elements
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Lecture series
Technical/methodological courses
PhD Seminars
Progress seminars/lab meetings
Conferences and excursions
Non-scientific lectures (“soft skill courses”)
Individual elements
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Thesis committee
Research proposal
1st and 2nd year report
Lab rotations
 documentation in the study record book
The Study Record Book
Purpose
• facilitates the organisation of the PhD study
• documents the progress of PhD work
• documents the participation in coursework
 basis for obtaining a “PhD certificate”
independent of the PhD regulations
(“Promotionsordnung”) of the university
 every PhD student will maintain
her/his proper study record book
Lectures and courses
Dr. T. Sharbel
The evolution of sex
Hybridization
Genomic parasites and evolution
Dr. T. Sharbel
Genetic variation in natural plant population
Dr. M. Melzer
Cell biological studies in plant research: Fluorescence and
Confocal Microscopy
Histological and ultrastructural analysis of plant tissue using
light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy
Dr. M. Melzer
Kurs für Histologie und Elektronenmikroskopie. (Hands-on
histology and electron microscopy in plant research)
Konfokale Mikroskopie mit dem CLSM und dem Spinning Disc
Mikroskop. (Hands-on confocal microscopy in plant
research.
Dr. H.P. Mock
Proteomics
Dr. N. Stein
Structural genomics of barley, wheat and rye
Dr. N. Stein
Basics in map-based gene isolation in barley
Dr. W. Weschke
Maternal-filial interactions in developing cereal grains
(W. Weschke)
PCD in plant development (V. Radchuk)
Molecular physiology of seed development in legumes
(H. Weber)
Dr. W. Weschke
Microdissection and expression analysis of developing seed
tissues WPs
LMPC-based microdissection (responsible: J. Thiel)
mRNA isolation and amplification at the micro scale
(responsible: V. Radchuk)
Tissue-specific expression analysis
(in cooperation with N. Sreenivasulu)
(responsible: R. Radchuk)
Lectures and courses
Dr. B. Kilian
Plant Domestication: wheat and barley (2 lectures)
Dr. M. Röder
Basic concepts of applied genetics
Dr. T. Schnurbusch
Introduction to Cereal Developmental Genetics
Dr. T. Schnurbusch
Practical course incl. hands-on training on tiller and spike
microscopy, dissections and preparations
Dr. J. Keller
Principles of cryopreservation for germplasm storage in plant
genebanks
Dr. J. Keller
Cryopreservation methods for storage of potato, garlic and
mint germplasm
Dr. J. Kumlehn
Genetic transformation of cereals
Haploid technology in plant research and crop improvement
Dr. J. Kumlehn
Plant cell culture and genetic transformation
Dr. A. Börner
Conservation and Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources in the
Federal ex situ Genebank in Gatersleben in
combination with a visitto the gene bank
Lectures and courses
Dr. A. Houben
Current topics of molecular cytogenetics (2 lectures)
Prof. F. Schreiber
1. Basics of bioinformatics
2. Databases and information systems for biology
3. Basics of sequence analysis
4. Introduction to statistics and transcriptome analysis
5. Biological networks
6. Modeling and simulation
7. Genebank documentation and information networks for
plant genetics resources and biodiversity
8. Plant phenotyping
Prof. v. Wirén
Nutrient sensing
Membrane transport systems
Prof. v. Wirén
Metabolome and ionome analysis
A molecular, pharmacological and analytical approach to
phytohormonal actions
Prof. K. Humbeck
Leaf senescence - background and methods