publishes a public tender for

"fully funded PhD STUDENT (young researcher) under the supervision of Asist. Prof. Anže Županič"

Deadline for application is May 7, 2024.

Title: Development of a modular digital twin for model plant organisms

Program Group: Biotechnology and systems biology of plants (P4-0407)

Supervisor: Asist. Prof. Anže Županič

Field: Biotechnology

We are excited to announce an opportunity for a PhD student to join our dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international research community within the Systems Biology Group at the National Institute of Biology (NIB) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. NIB has recently moved into a new modern facility, with state-of-the-art plant research and computational laboratories, between a newly forming university campus and the city center. By joining us you will be able to perform groundbreaking computational biology research, in a EU member country that consistently ranks among the best in the world for environmental sustainability and well-being.

Our research group is committed to using a combination of experimental and computational methods to unravel complex biological challenges. Our current research focuses on plant responses to multiple biotic and abiotic stress and developing experimentally validated computational tools for the development of agricultural plants adapted to new environmental conditions. We have already established molecular knowledge bases and computational models for stress-impacted plants and are embarking on an exciting new phase: constructing a modular computational system designed to simulate plant life at various levels, from cells to environmental interactions. The research will involve creating mechanistic computational models of stress response as well as analyzing extensive datasets using bioinformatics and machine learning approaches. The doctoral research program will be customized in collaboration with the chosen candidate to align with our group's research objectives, offering the opportunity to closely collaborate with experts in computational and experimental science within our group and with leading researchers in our extensive international network.

Our ideal candidate comes with a masters in systems biology/bioinformatics, however we are happy to consider candidates with a STEM background interested in biology, and candidates with life science background interested in math and computation. Essential attributes include critical thinking, initiative, creativity, realibility, proficiency in English and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team. The role may require international travel to research laboratories and participation in conferences, workshops, and project meetings, so a readiness to travel is appreciated.

A candidate for a PhD student (young researcher) must meet the following conditions:

• The candidate has not yet completed a doctorate in science or acquired the scientific title of Doctor of Philosophy.
• The candidate has not yet been employed as a young researcher.
• The candidate completed a second-level study program or education that corresponds to the level of education obtained through second-level study programs and, in accordance with the law governing the Slovenian qualifications framework, is ranked at level 8 or a comparable study program obtained abroad.
• As a rule, he has an average grade of at least 8.00 for all exams and exercises in the first-cycle study program and the second-cycle study program. For students who have completed their studies abroad – a comparable equivalent, if it is possible to obtain it, otherwise at least a mentor's recommendation.
• The time condition for entry into the funding scheme which is tied to the completion of studies is specified in the Rulebook on Stable Funding of Scientific Research Activities of the Slovenian Research Agency.

Selected young researchers who have not completed their second-cycle study program at the time of application must complete their studies no later than September 15 of the current year.

Interested candidates should send a CV and a letter of motivation to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Deadline for application is May 7, 2024.

Information: Dr. Anže Županič, e-naslov: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.