PhD in Agricultural Sciences at Agriculture institute of Slovenia (Slovenia)

Key details

• Host institution: Agriculture institute of Slovenia
• Location: Agriculture institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Application deadline: May 6, 2026

Funding

Not funded by a EU programme

Funding level (from listing): partial or not via EU framework — confirm on the official call.

How to apply

• Apply by email to [email protected] (subject line and attachments per the official instructions).
• Full vacancy text and updates: Euraxess listing.

About the position

The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, within the Agrobiodiversity Research Group, is hiring a Junior Researcher and invites all interested candidates to apply.

Research Focus

The PhD candidate will conduct research in the field of viticulture and biological control using microorganisms under the mentorship of Dr. Katja Šuklje Antalick and co-supervision of Dr. Janja Zajc Žunič. The work will focus on biological approaches for protecting grapevine against major pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea, Plasmopara viticola, and Erysiphe necator.

Research Activities

The research will be carried out in the laboratory, where experiments will test antagonistic yeasts and fungi against selected grapevine pathogenic fungi. Based on these experiments, the most promising biocontrol agents will be selected for further studies on their mechanisms of action.

Using metabolomic analyses, changes in plant metabolic profiles following treatments with selected microorganisms will be investigated, and potential biomarkers associated with increased resistance will be identified. The effectiveness of the selected biocontrol agents will ultimately be tested under real vineyard production conditions.

Training and Skills

During the training, the young researcher will gain knowledge and experience in laboratory work in the fields of microbiology (mycology), biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and multivariate data analysis, which will be combined with work on grapevine and innovative biological protection strategies.

The program and the precise content of the doctoral thesis will be finalized in agreement with the selected candidate.