PhD in Photosynthesis Monitoring for Climate Control — Wageningen University & Research

Key details

• Host institution: Wageningen University & Research
• Location: Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg, Wageningen, Netherlands
• Application deadline: May 26, 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

As a PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research, you will help shape the future of plant-centred climate control by developing approaches to monitor and interpret canopy-level photosynthesis using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and microclimate data. You will work with chlorophyll fluorescence imagers, leaf-level validation sensors, and multilayer photosynthesis models to quantify how microclimate gradients affect electron transport rate (ETR), photosynthetic efficiency, and yield.

This project is part of the GreenControl programme, which is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and 11 companies. This programme encompasses 7 PhD students appointed at the universities of Wageningen, Delft, Eindhoven, and Twente. Within GreenControl, you will work in parallel with another PhD in the same group focusing on water-related traits and colleagues across different disciplines, technology companies, and growers, ensuring that your research results are directly usable in operational climate-control strategies.

Your duties and responsibilities

• Designing and executing greenhouse and vertical-farm experiments using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and supporting sensors.
• Use and validate multilayer photosynthesis models that integrate ETR, absorbed light, CO₂, temperature, and microclimate gradients.
• Investigating short- and long-term regulatory processes, including acclimation of photosynthetic capacity.
• Collaborating with technology providers, growers, and researchers to integrate imaging-based insights into climate-control tools.

You will work here

The research is embedded within the chair Horticulture and Product Physiology, and member of team of Silvere Vialet-Chabrand, which is led by Prof. Leo Marcelis.

The Horticulture and Product Physiology (HPP) group at Wageningen University & Research focuses on understanding and controlling plant growth, development, and product quality, particularly in controlled environments such as greenhouses and vertical farms. By integrating plant physiology, modelling, and data-driven approaches, the group aims to predict plant performance and optimize production systems across the entire supply chain, contributing to sustainable and efficient horticulture.