PhD Student Position in Stomata Biology and Starch Metabolism

The Santelia lab at ETH Zurich is seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our research team on a project about stomata biology and starch metabolism in plants.

Stomata are microscopic pores on the leaf epidermis surrounded by a pair of guard cells. Stomata open and close in response to environmental stimuli to facilitate gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere. Plants with fast stomatal movements adapt more quickly to changes in their environment and show increased stress tolerance and productivity. Research in the Santelia group demonstrated that guard cell starch metabolism is one of the key factors for fast stomatal movements. Our research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning fast stomatal movements through the regulation of guard cell starch turnover. We discovered that in Arabidopsis thaliana, the glucan hydrolase beta-amylase 1 (BAM1) is a major player in rapid guard cell starch degradation in response to blue light - a stimulus inducing fast stomatal opening; while its closest homolog BAM3, is involved in stomatal responses during pathogen attack. This position offers an exciting opportunity to explore the evolution and subfunctionalization of BAM1 and BAM3 in plants and how they contribute to plant productivity and stress resilience by regulating starch dynamics in guard cells.

Research Focus:

• Reconstruct the evolutionary history and phylogeny of BAM1 and BAM3 in plants
• Investigate the role of BAM1 and BAM3 from divergent plant lineages in stomatal responses to blue light and pathogens
• Create chimera proteins and clone BAM1 and BAM3 from divergent land plant lineages for complementation studies in Arabidopsis bam1 and bam3 mutants
• Perform RNA sequencing (RNAseq) in guard cells in response to blue light of Arabidopsis accessions with divergent stomatal responses to blue light and varying blue light-induced starch turnover. Molecular genetics analyses of newly identified genes

Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in plant biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field
• Strong background in plant physiology and molecular biology techniques
• Experience with RNAseq, gene cloning, and Arabidopsis genetics is highly desirable
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• English proficiency

Responsibilities:

• Conduct independent research under the supervision of senior researchers
• Design and perform experiments, analyse data, and interpret results
• Prepare and present research findings at scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed journals
• Collaborate with other team members and contribute to the overall research goals

• Training opportunities in several plant biology topics, but also soft-skills
• Perspectives for career development
• Support programmes (e.g. mentoring) and networks
• becoming part of a small team with a strong focus on team working