ViroiDoc Open Call published

ViroiDoc Network is seeking for 10 Doctoral Candidates to join research laboratories in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. Application deadline: 25 April 2025.

The Doctoral Network ViroiDoc offers exciting projects on viroids, the smallest plant pathogens, and viroid-like RNAs that have only recently been discovered outside the plant kingdom. The programme includes secondments to partner laboratories or companies involved in plant breeding and plant protection located in Argentina, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Spain.

Career development and international mobility of researchers is a key concept within the MSCA-DN framework. The ViroiDoc training program is international, multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral. The training program consists of individual research projects (IRP), training by local doctoral schools and specific ViroiDoc network-wide training in scientific, technical, digital, entrepreneurial and transferable skills. By exposure to an international environment and different industries you will build a valuable network of contacts, providing a solid foundation for future research collaborations and direct employment opportunities in both the academic and the non-academic sectors working in molecular biology, bioinformatics, or in product and service development in European agriculture and innovation development.

Open positions with Individual Research Projects (IRP)

1. Slovenia: How Disrupting Viroid Biogenesis Impacts Viroid propagation (IRP)
Host: University of Ljubljana (UL) – Biotechnical Faculty
Supervisors: Nataša Štajner / Jernej Jakše (UL)

2. Slovenia: Climate change impact on viroid diseases
Host: Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing (IHPS) in cooperation with UL (Biotechnical Faculty)
Supervisor: Sebastjan Radišek (IHPS)

3. Slovenia: Development of a disposable, selective, and sensitive electrochemical sensor for on-site detection of plant viroids
Host: National institute of chemistry (NIC) in cooperation with UL (Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology)
Supervisor: Samo Hočevar (NIC)

4. France: In vivo imaging of viroid RNA and associated host factors
Host: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de biologie moléculaire des plantes (IBMP), affiliated with the University of Strasbourg (École doctorale des Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé)
Supervisor: Manfred Heinlein / Todd Blevins (CNRS)

5. Spain: Point-of-care viroid diagnosis based on CRISPR-Cas technologies
Host: Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in cooperation with the Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV)
Supervisor: José-Antonio Daròs (CSIC)

6. Spain: Development of novel antiviroidal strategies: towards drug discovery
Host: Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV)
Supervisors: Purificación Lisón (UPV) and Kriton Kalantidis (UoC)

7. Italy: Dissection of viroid pathogenesis through omics and phenotyping approaches
Host: CNR-IPSP in cooperation with the Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro (UNIBA-DiSSPA)
Supervisors: Francesco di Serio (CNR) and Tiziana Mascia (UNIBA)
NOTE: Applications for this position are not yet being accepted. For further information, please contact info@viroidoc.eu.

8. Italy: Identification and characterization of novel infectious circular viroid-like RNAs in hosts belonging to different kingdoms
Host: CNR-IPSP in cooperation with the Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro (UNIBA-DiSSPA)
Supervisors: Beatriz Navarro Ramirez (CNR) and Rita Milvia de Miccolis Angelini (UNIBA)
NOTE: Applications for this position are not yet being accepted. For further information, please contact info@viroidoc.eu.

9. Greece: How disrupting host factors suppresses viroid infectivity
Host: University of Crete (UoC)
Supervisor: Kriton Kalantidis (UoC)

10. Germany: RNA sprays - precision tools for the modulation of host genes to develop viroid resistance
Host: University of Regensburg (UREG)
Supervisor: Aline Koch (UREG)

Your profile:

• You have a university degree (MSc or equivalent) in plant biology, genetics, cell biology, biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, chemistry or a related discipline, completed no later than by the start of the PhD project.
• You have a strong interest in conducting collaborative research in international and cross-sectoral contexts.

Specific eligibility criteria:

• You are not in a possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
• You have not resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the selected host laboratory for more than 12 months during the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date (the starting date indicated in the employment contract or equivalent direct contract).
• You can communicate in both written and spoken English (language certificate B2-C2 required, see language proficiency in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - CEFR).
  NOTE: An overview of each research and training project on offer, with requirements for applicants are described in ViroiDoc Open Call Guidelines for applicants. Please read the project descriptions carefully to ensure that you meet the required qualifications.

We offer:

• A competitive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for DC (including a living allowance, mobility allowance, and, if applicable, a family allowance and/or, special needs allowance for eligible recruited researchers).
• The opportunity to pursue a PhD in one of Europe’s top research centres.
• The opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment and international team, with excellent equipment, infrastructure, and workspaces.
• Outstanding mentoring and career support.
• A comprehensive network-wide training and internship program, both in academia and industry.
• Training in cutting-edge techniques as well as other scientific, technical, digital, entrepreneurial and transferable skills through individual research projects accompanied by a multifaceted innovative training modules and secondment program.

Application

Application deadline: 25 April 2025, 12:00 CET.
Applications must be submitted electronically using the form on the ViroiDoc website.
Call details and guidelines for applicants are available on the ViroiDoc website.

Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Should you require any additional information about the vacancies, please contact the coordinator of the ViroiDoc DN at info@viroidoc.eu.