Program no. DSMBBC/2024/5 Unraveling the Structure and Function of the Ny-1 and Ny-2 Immune Receptors Against Potato Virus Y

Job title:

Program no. DSMBBC/2024/5 Unraveling the Structure and Function of the Ny-1 and Ny-2 Immune Receptors Against Potato Virus Y

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Job description

Offer DescriptionIn their natural environment, plants face a constant barrage of pathogen attacks. Yet, thanks to their robust immune system, they survive and evolve, forging new immune pathways. Among the most extensively studied plant immune receptors are nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs). When these NLRs are activated upon pathogen recognition, they often trigger localized programmed cell death (HR). This HR response acts as a barrier, confining the pathogen’s spread from the infection site to neighbouring cells. This unique defence mechanism allows plants to maintain overall tissue health while effectively combating local pathogen invasions1.Potato Virus Y (PVY) is one of the most harmful pathogens infecting crop plants, including potato, pepper, eggplant, and tobacco. Two types of immune receptors conferring resistance against this virus have been identified. The Rysto, a TNL-class immune receptor conferring extreme resistance phenomenon, was cloned and characterised by our group,2,3 and Ny-1-and Ny-2, which have not been cloned yet. Ny-1 and Ny-2 receptors are present in many essential potato cultivars and activate contrary to Rysto, a classical HR response. These receptors’ isolation and functional analysis will be crucial for agriculture, especially for future resistance gene stocking.The proposed project aims to isolate the Ny-1 and Ny-2 genes that provide resistance to PVY. To carry out the cloning of these receptors, a diploid mapping population was used that involved crosses between Rywal x Accent (for Ny-1) and Romula x Felka (for Ny-2) individuals. Resistance to PVY was evaluated in all individuals using mechanical and graft inoculations. The preliminary RenSeq (Resistance gene enrichment sequencing) and PacBio SMRT (Pacific Biosciences Single-Molecule Real-Time sequencing) revealed a group of candidate genes for both receptors. The successful candidate for the PhD position will cloned the sequence of cosegregating NLRs and test them for PVY resistance using various functional assays, including the creation of transgenic plants. The student will also identify the avr factors of the receptors that confer resistance- these are the viral ligands recognised by Ny-1 and Ny-2, respectively. This investigation will include protein isolation of Ny-1 and Ny-2 and Co-IPs (co-immunoprecipitation) with identified protein interactors. Finally, in the last part of the project, the student will analyse the signalling pathways activated by Ny-1 and Ny-2 receptors and describe the mechanism of mediated immunity activation.The Laboratory of Plant Pathogenesis has long-term expertise in plant-microbe interaction studies. During the last decade, laboratory members have co-authored many highly cited papers in prestigious journals (Cell, The Plant Cell, Plant Biotechnology Journal, New Phytologist). The Selected PhD student will be supported and supervised by experienced scientists.RequirementsResearch Field Biological sciences Education Level Master Degree or equivalentSkills/Qualifications

• Hold a degree of Master of Science [Magister], Master of Engineering [Magister Inżynier], medical doctor or equivalent in the field of: exact sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences or related disciplines, granted by a Polish or foreign university; a person who does not possess the qualifications described above may take part in the competition, but must obtain the qualifications in question and provide the relevant documents before the start of the programme at the Doctoral School (i.e., 1st October 2024). Education at the Doctoral School begins on 1st October 2024 ;
• Essential skills: knowledge of basic molecular biology and biochemical techniques, proficiency in English written and spoken, experience in protein purification would be appreciated.

Languages ENGLISH Level GoodResearch Field Biological sciencesAdditional InformationBenefitsScholarship amount (net, monthly, PLN): 1st year: 4000; 2nd year: 4000; 3rd year: 4739.51; 4th year: 4739.51;Surcharge for the multi sport card, parking, optional language courses.Selection processThe recruitment process consists of two stages: * selection of candidates by the Committee based on their previous achievements and academic performance presented in the documents submitted; for each position no more than 5 applicants who have achieved the highest scores, but no less than 60% of the maximum points, shall be qualified for the next stage;

• an interview conducted by the Committee including in particular:

• a presentation delivered by the candidate containing the outcomes of his/her research (a Master’s thesis or other research work carried out by the candidate); the presentation must not last longer than 10 minutes;
• questions asked by the members of the Committee related to the presented project, the methods used and interpretation of the results obtained;
• questions asked by the members of the Committee related to the proposed PhD programme described in the recruitment announcement;
• questions related to the candidate’s motivation for scientific work.

Stage One

• learning outcomes (a scale of the evaluation: 0.0 – 6.0 points);
• participation in a scientific project or an academic conference (a poster or oral presentation) (a scale of the evaluation: 0.0 – 1.0 points);
• co-authorship of a research paper (depending on the role in the publication) (a scale of the evaluation: 0.0 – 1.0 points);
• involvement in science club (a scale of the evaluation: 0.0 or 0.5 points);
• other achievements, e.g., awards, honors, scholarships, domestic and foreign internships, voluntary work, popularization of science (a scale of the evaluation: 0.0 – 1.5 points).

Stage Two

• understanding of the project performed and methods used; the ability to interpret the results obtained; knowledge in the field related to the presented project (a scale of the evaluation: 0-10 points);
• knowledge in the field related to the proposed PhD programme described in the recruitment announcement (a scale of the evaluation: 0-10 points);
• form of presentation of the candidate’s results (a scale of the evaluation: 0-3 points).

Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences Country Poland City Warsaw Postal Code 02-106 Street ul. Pawińskiego 5aWhere to apply WebsiteContact CityWarsaw WebsiteStreetul. Pawińskiego 5a Postal Code02-106 E-MailPhDschool-recruitment@ibb.waw.plSTATUS: EXPIRED

Expected salary

Location

Warszawa, mazowieckie

Job date

Thu, 02 May 2024 06:15:34 GMT

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