The research groups of Prof. Joëlle Mühlemann and Prof. Bart Lievens are seeking two PhD students to join the interdisciplinary project: "Pollinators under pressure: how climate stressors shape flowers and their interactions with nectar-dwelling microbes and pollinators". The focus of this vacancy (PhD position 2) is to examine the effects of climate stressors (heat and drought) on nectar microbial communities and subsequent interactions with pollinators in oilseed rape (Brassica napus). You will be supervised by Prof. Bart Lievens and Prof. Joëlle Mühlemann, both of whom have extensive experience in guiding high-quality doctoral research. Your daily work place will be the Laboratory of Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Leuven (Belgium) (Prof. Lievens lab). PME&BIM has a strong expertise in plant-microbe-insect interactions, with a strong emphasis on plant pollination and biological pest control. Therefore, it combines microbiology, microbial ecology, molecular biology, entomology, chemical ecology and ‘omics’ approaches.
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Project
Around 35% of all crops rely on insect pollinators for seed or fruit set and yield. These pollinators are attracted to flowers by various cues, including floral morphology, colour, and volatile compounds. They receive pollen and nectar as a reward. Interestingly, floral nectar also hosts a microbiome that emits volatiles and influences pollinator attraction. This suggests that crop yields depend on tripartite interactions between flowers, nectar microbes, and pollinators. However, these finely tuned relationships are under increasing threat from climate change, especially heatwaves and drought, which may disrupt microbial communities and pollination processes, ultimately threatening agricultural productivity, but only very little is known in this regard. In this PhD project, you will investigate the impact of heat and drought stress on the interaction between nectar and microbes, and subsequently on pollinators using oilseed rape and bumblebees as a study system. Specifically, you will investigate how these stressors affect the taxonomic composition and functional properties of nectar microbial communities with a particular focus on volatile production to attract pollinators. Subsequently, you will assess how alterations in nectar microbiomes affect pollinator behaviour using both robotic flowers and real oilseed rape plants.
Profile
The requirements for the PhD position are the following:
· You hold a master’s degree in engineering technology, bioengineering, biology or equivalent (cum laude)
· You have knowledge of microbiology, microbial ecology, molecular biology, bioinformatics/genomics and chemical ecology
· You are a team player, a problem solver, and possess a critical mind
· You are eager to learn new techniques or methods
· You work independently and accurately
· You have demonstrated verbal and written communication skills in English
· You are communicative and willing to present research results at (inter)national conferences, via social media and through teaching activities
· You are willing to support the research team with teaching activities/ supervise student/ thesis projects.
Offer
We offer you a full-time PhD position for 4 years, starting on October 1st, 2025, and pending a positive evaluation by your PhD committee after 1 year. Remuneration will be according to the KU Leuven salary scales (https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/phd/phd-information#working-conditions). You will benefit from the strong Belgian social security system as well.
You will be part of a highly collaborative and innovative research team, where members actively support each other’s growth and development. You can expect a stimulating and encouraging environment in which your contributions are valued and your development as an independent researcher is a priority. You will receive advanced training in a wide range of techniques in the domain of plant-microbe-insect interactions. You will also have opportunities to participate in national and international meetings and establish your own network.
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Bart Lievens, tel.: +32 16 32 75 43, mail: [email protected] or Prof. dr. Joëlle Mühlemann, tel.: +32 16 32 43 54, mail: [email protected].
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