Crop production under rainfed conditions is severely limited by soil water deficit, which occurs when water supply from the soil fails to meet the transpiration demand caused by photosynthesis and atmospheric conditions. Available physiological data suggest that there is only a limited scope to reduce the transpiration demand without affecting photosynthesis. Alternatively, the option of improving the plant capacity to extract water from deep soil layers has gained experimental support and is now widely endorsed.

Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of soil moisture often goes beyond a simple vertical gradient and it is unknown whether improved exploitation of this heterogeneity might, outperform the current “deep” option. To tackle this question, we need to understand how plants cope with this heterogeneity, by analysing the hydraulic properties of the soil and plant compartments, the spatial geometry of the soil-plant system and the short- and long-term plant responses to the heterogeneity.

Research description

Three PhD positions are available in the framework of a 4-yr project called HydraMaize, a transdisciplinary project in the fields of plant growth and development, aquaporin regulation and soil-plant modeling. These three PhD positions are funded for one year each, and the applicants will prepare and defend a proposal to extend their funding to 4 yrs. The three PhD topics are:

(1) to investigate the processes, which regulate the local hydraulic conductivity of cells and tissues. This PhD project will combine the characterization of aquaporin abundance and activity using molecular and cellular biology approaches, and the determination of water related parameters using biophysical measurements;

(2) to study how root growth respond to soil water heterogeneity in terms of formation, elongation and directional growth;

(3) to investigate how anatomical, physiological and structural changes in the Maize hydraulic architecture affects its capacity to take up water and increase its resilience against drought. This PhD will combine experimental and modeling work with a functional-structural root model.
Desired skills and experience

Applicants should hold a Master degree in biology/bio-engineering/engineering with some experience in plant molecular and cellular biology and/or physiology (PhD1 and 2) and soil physics and modeling (PhD 3).

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