PhD student: How egg-associated microbes help plants to attract parasitic wasps

The research groups of Prof. Bart Lievens (Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems), Prof. Barbara De Coninck (Plant Health and Protection Laboratory, Biosystems Department), and Prof. Hans Jacquemyn (Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Population Biology, Department of Biology) have joined forces and are seeking a dynamic and highly motivated PhD student to conduct innovative scientific research in the field of biological control to manage pest insects. These groups have strong expertise in plant-microbe-insect interactions, plant resilience and underlying molecular mechanisms, combining microbiology, microbial ecology, molecular biology, plant physiology, entomology, chemical ecology and omics approaches.

Project

Plants constantly face threats from insects that feed on them. To defend themselves early on, they emit blends of volatile compounds that attra...