PhD position – Harnessing natural genetic resources to defend fruits against insect attack

Institute: LMU Munich, Faculty of Biology, Genetics

Subject areas/Research fields: Biochemistry/ Pharmacology/ Genetics/ Molecular Biology/ Molecular Plant Sciences

Keywords: Drosophilia suzukii, Plant secondary metabolites, Fragaria vesca, Strawberry

Name of supervisor: Prof. Dr. Martin Parniske 

Funding: LSM-CSC / DAAD-GSSP (LSM) / Application for funding by the DFG in progress

Project title: 

Harnessing natural genetic resources to defend fruits against insect attack

Project description:

Drosophila suzukii, a member of the vinegar fly family, has become the most damaging pest worldwide for a wide variety of soft fruits. While other Drosophila species lay their eggs into decaying fruits, D. suzukii has evolved the ability to insert eggs into the flesh of ready-to-harvest ripe fruits either on plants or in storage. Hatched larvae then consume the fruits from inside out and infected fruits are no longer suitable for human consumption. Aiming for a sustainable and effective control method, we utilized a diverse collection of strawberry plants (genus Fragaria) and identified sources of natural resistance to D. suzukii, the first-reported herbivore resistance in fruits (Gong et al., 2016). Our results indicate inhibitory effect at early stages of D. suzukii larvae development and involvement of plant secondary metabolites. As a consequence, resistant genotypes do not support proliferation of flies, hence limiting the source of infestation. In this project, we aim to identify the genes and mechanisms underlying this resistance and thus provide alternative strategies that can replace insecticide application for the production of healthy fruits. Our two-pronged approach will involve on the one hand the bioassay-based purification and identification of the larvae inhibiting compounds from resistant strawberries and on the other hand the genetic identification of the strawberry gene(s) responsible for this resistance.

Applicants will benefit from a theoretical background and ideally practical experience in plant genetics and/or plant secondary metabolite analysis.

References: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1g3whIEAAAAJ&hl=en

For further information, please contact: Martin Parniske ([email protected])

Reseach group website: 

https://www.genetik.biologie.uni-muenchen.de/research/parniske/parniske/index.html

Apply: Please send your application through the online portal of the Graduate School Life Science Munich (LSM)