Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Agroecology programme. The position is available from 01 October 2026 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
Title
Harnessing Plant Interactions and Metabolomics towards Pesticide-free Crop Production
Research area and project description
Plant–microbe and plant–plant interactions are key drivers of crop health, resilience, and productivity, and are increasingly viewed as essential components of sustainable agricultural systems. Exploiting these biological relationships offers a promising route to reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides while improving the efficiency and stability of plant-based food production.
This PhD project will investigate how plant–plant and plant–microbe associations influence plant secondary metabolism, with a focus on utilizing phytochemical profiles for sustainable crop production. The candidate will study how plant-plant and plant-microbe interactions modify metabolite production and allelopathic traits in crop plants.
Using targeted and untargeted LC–MS-based metabolomics, the project will characterize interaction-driven shifts in plant chemistry and relate these to functional outcomes to plant resistance in applied crop production. The overall aim is to better understand how natural biological associations can be utilized to support sustainable crop production and reduce pesticide dependence.
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 hold a master’s degree in agroecology, biochemistry, chemical ecology, microbiology, entomology, environmental science, or a related field.
The ideal candidate is motivated to unravelling the chemical ecology of ecological interactions in agricultural ecosystems. Interest in conducting fields, common-garden and greenhouse studies and first experience in metabolomics via LC-MS to analyse phytochemical pattern is desired.
Place of employment and place of work
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Forsøgsvej 1, DK-4200 Slagelse, Denmark.
Contacts
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:
- Benjamin Fuchs, bf@agro.au.dk (main supervisor)
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:
How to apply
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 03 August 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Preferred starting date is 01 October 2026.
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 everyone 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.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Slagelse Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
Aarhus Universitet, Forsøgsvej, 4200 Slagelse
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 22-07-2026;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/find-job/8d99ab10-2a24-4ce8-a519-4244052f42d3
