PhD in Plant Phenomics: AI and Robotics for High-Throughput Environmental Response Mapping

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Quantitative Genetics and Genomics programme. The position is available from 01 January 2025 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title
PhD in Plant Phenomics: AI and Robotics for High-Throughput Environmental Response Mapping

Research area and project description
Summary: We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to work on an exciting multidisciplinary project funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research (Sapere Aude), aiming to develop cutting-edge tools to understand complex plant responses to environmental variables.

Context: Plants live in complex environments, responding to factors such as light, temperature, and nutrients, which affect their growth and survival. Each plant responds differently to these factors, and understanding these reactions is key to studying their ability to adapt and thrive in various conditions. This project aims to take a groundbreaking approach by not just studying plants in isolated environments, but by exploring how they grow across a multidimensional range of environmental conditions in real-time.

About the Project: The project focuses on characterising "response surfaces" in the small, fast-growing plant species Lemna gibba (duckweed), using high-throughput phenotyping and advanced AI tools. The core of the research involves:

• Development and validation of DWARPH (DuckWeed Automatic Robot for Phenomics), a scalable, miniature growth chamber with automated real-time phenotyping.
• Application of deep learning and optimisation theory to iteratively explore how environmental factors influence plant growth.
• Comparative analysis of genetic determinants of plant plasticity and ecological niche modelling across multiple L. gibba ecotypes.

This research will explore exciting questions about plant adaptation, response surface modelling, and experimental metaphenomics, providing valuable insights into plant biology and the future of sustainable agriculture.

Research Group: You will join the dynamic Digital Approaches for Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture (DARSA) group, at the Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG). The group and center foster a dynamic, inclusive and multidisciplinary environment. Your research will take place at Aarhus University, a prestigious institution located in a vibrant student-friendly city. This project will be conducted with local (the Aquatic Biology aaSection) and international (Dr. Ryan Sartor) collaborators.

Selection Process: Candidates will be evaluated based on their CV, motivation statement, and reference letters. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview (online or in person). The top candidate will be offered the position.

Why Apply?

• Be at the forefront of integrating technology and ecology
• Lead original fundamental research on unknown aspects of plant biology
• Work in a collaborative and supportive research environment
• Gain experience with cutting-edge technologies applied to research

Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position should have completed a Master's degree (before January 2025) in engineering or experimental science (e.g., ecology, biology, experimental physics, etc.)

• Have experience in developing advanced custom hardware (PCB, 3d printing, CNC, etc.)
• Have advanced mathematical and programming skills (in particular, experience working with scientific languages (e.g. R and Python)
• Be familiar with image processing, imaging techniques
• Have a strong interest and motivation to study plant biology and ecology
• Possess advanced collaborative and interpersonal skills
• Be fluent in English (written and spoken)
  

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Ole Worms Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Torben Asp, [email protected] (main supervisor)

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 15 November 2024 at 23:59 CET

Preferred starting date is 01 January 2025.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.