Postdoctoral Scientist (f/m/d) Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)

Join the Metabolic Diversity research group at the IPK in the frame of the collaborative BMFTR-funded project “MZF: Twin-3”. Our team, led by Dr. John D’Auria, explores how specialized metabolism and lineage-specific chemical defenses drive stress resilience in cereals. Postdoctoral Research Topic Genetic and Regulatory Basis of Hordatine Biosynthesis in Barley Objectives Use state-of-the-art “digital twin” resources to dissect the pathways governing hordatine production. The project aims to link metabolic diversity to stress resilience by identifying causal genes and regulatory networks through integrated metabolomics and pan-genomics. Your tasks Multi-omics Discovery & GWAS: Combine LC-MS untargeted profiling with GWAS and mediation analysis to establish causal links between genomic loci, gene expression, and hordatine variation. Functional Defense Analysis: Conduct pathogen assays (Scald and Powdery Mildew) to test the role of hordatines in Quantitative Disease Resistance and evaluate potential fitness trade-offs. Advanced Allele Mining: Mobilize the project’s 15,000-accession variant matrix and Regulome Atlas to identify high-impact alleles and regulatory determinants for breeding. Data Management & Dissemination: Handle the interpretation of large-scale metabolic and genomic datasets and ensure findings are integrated into the Twin discovery platform. Present results at national and international scientific conferences and prepare high-impact publications in peer-reviewed journals. Your application More details you find here: We are looking forward to receiving your online-application by 03.06.2026 Please indicate the reference number 23/04/26 in your correspondence #J-18808-Ljbffr European Plant Science Organisation