Description
The Doctoral School of Natural Sciences of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań offers opportunities to study and conduct scientific research in the international, as well as in the national and regional dimension. The University constantly updates and expands its research programmes and educational content, with particular emphasis on their interdisciplinary character.
Discipline: Biological sciences
Additional recruitment to the Doctoral School of Natural Sciences beyond the limit of places
Project description:
Spermatogenesis is a complex, tightly regulated process that leads to the formation of functional sperm cells. One of the key regulatory mechanisms involves microRNAs (miRNAs) – short non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by targeting specific mRNAs. In plants, the role of miRNAs in spermatogenesis remains largely unexplored, especially male-specific miRNAs encoded on sex chromosomes. The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, with its well-annotated genome and distinct sexual dimorphism, serves as an ideal model for studying miRNA-mediated regulation of sperm development. The main goal of this project is to identify and functionally characterize novel malespecific miRNAs in M. polymorpha and to determine their role in regulating spermatogenesis and reproductive success. The project focuses on discovering previously uncharacterized miRNAs, their target mRNAs, and the molecular mechanisms through which they affect sperm quality and function.
Expected work Plan:
1. Identification and experimental validation of novel male-specific miRNAs using sRNA-seq data (northern blot, degradome analysis, 5’ RACE).
2. Prediction and confirmation of target mRNAs for selected miRNAs, followed by gene expression analysis.
3. Generation and phenotypic characterization of CRISPR/Cas9 mutants for both miRNAs and their targets (in KO and OE lines).
4. Transcriptomic (RNA-seq), proteomic (ESI-MS/MS), and morphological (SEM/TEM) analyses of sperm cells from WT and mutant plants.
This project will uncover novel male-specific miRNAs and their target modules that control key aspects of sperm development in plants. The results will broaden our understanding of post-transcriptional regulation during spermatogenesis and may reveal evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanisms relevant to plant reproduction and beyond.
REQUIRED SKILLS OF THE CANDIDATE: The candidate will be selected from students who have completed a master’s degree in biology, biotechnology, or bioinformatics within the Natural Sciences, and will be recruited to the Doctoral School. Both Polish and international candidates will be considered. We are seeking a highly motivated and hard-working student with a basic knowledge of molecular biology and genetics. The candidate will be chosen through an open competition, in accordance with the National Science Centre rules. The ideal candidate should be familiar with basic molecular techniques such as RNA and DNA isolation, PCR, RT-qPCR, Western blot, CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and basic bioinformatics analyses. Experience with Bryophytes, such as mosses and liverworts, as well as Arabidopsis techniques, is preferred. The PhD student will have access to all necessary infrastructure and will receive training on required equipment if needed. The PhD student will focus primarily on characterizing the role of novel malespecific miRNAs in spermatogenesis. This work will include conducting 5' RACE experiments to confirm selected miRNA targets and using 5' RLM-RACE and 3' RACE to describe the genes encoding these miRNAs. The PhD student will characterize CRISPR/Cas9 mutants for both the targets and the miRNAs. Additionally, The PhD student will prepare a doctoral thesis and participate in manuscript preparation. The PhD student will represent the research team at scientific conferences, presenting posters and/or delivering oral presentations.
Principal investigator: dr Halina Pietrykowska - NCN 2024/55/D/NZ3/01945
Recruitment:
Selection Committeee
Chairwoman: dr Halina Pietrykowska
prof. dr hab. Zofia Szwejkowska-Kulińska
dr Jakub Dolata
prof. dr hab. Witold Wachowiak
prof. dr hab. Hanna Kmita
Secretary mgr Iwona kanonik-Jedrzejak
Schedule of the Doctoral School enrolment procedure:
- acceptance of documents: from 1 to 21 August, 2025
- admission process: from 1 to 10 September, 2025
- announcement of the list of candidates qualified for admission: 15 September, 2025
Recruitment fee
The recruitment fee is 75 EUR.
Form of the selection procedure
One-stage procedure.
Language of the selection procedure, including interviews:
Polish or English language.
Required documents:
Candidates are required to:
1. Complete the registration form and upload a digital photograph sized 20 mm x 25 mm with a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
2. Indicate the academic discipline in which they intend to conduct their doctoral research.
3. Consent to the processing of personal data for admission purposes.
4. Submit a CV.
5. Upload a motivation letter specifying the academic discipline in which they aim to earn their doctoral degree.
6. Provide a scan of a diploma confirming higher education qualifications at Level 7 of the Polish Qualification Framework, along with a diploma supplement. For 2024/2025 graduates who have not yet received their diplomas, a certificate confirming Level 7 qualifications, along with academic records, must be submitted, subject to section 3.
7. Attach a statement of documented achievements and supporting documents (for documents in languages other than Polish or English, a certified translation must be included). Applicants should indicate:
a) Up to three scientific achievements.
b) Up to three additional accomplishments, as defined by the criteria in § 11.
8. Submit a research project proposal, or in the case of admission tied to a research project, a detailed plan for grant project implementation, including a bibliography (up to 8 pages of standard text, max. 15,000 characters with spaces).
9. Upload an application for admission to the doctoral school, generated from the IRK system.
10.Pay the admission fee.
Candidates applying based on exceptional academic achievements must include a scan of the following:
1) For first-cycle graduates: the diploma and supplement.
2) For students completing the third year of a unified master’s programme: a certificate indicating their academic average from years 1 to 3, along with a transcript.
Candidates educated outside Poland must additionally submit:
1) A scanned copy of their higher education diploma and supplement for both first- and second-degree qualifications (Bachelor’s and Master’s), in the original language and a certified translation into English or Polish.
2) A scanned copy of their passport (for foreign applicants).
Evaluation criteria
The following shall be taken into account during the admission procedure:
1. A minimum grade of "very good" or equivalent from a second-cycle (master’s) or unified master’s degree diploma (5 points). Candidates applying on the basis of exceptional scientific achievements (e.g., grant awarded under the “Pearls of Science” competition) will also receive 5 points.
2. Evaluation of up to three documented scientific achievements submitted during registration in the IRK system, assessed according to the detailed criteria of the candidate's accomplishments (maximum of 20 points).
3. Assessment of other documented activities, based on up to three achievements indicated by the candidate, as per the specific criteria for the discipline (maximum of 5 points).
4. The outcome of the interview, which assesses:
a) The candidate’s knowledge and competencies relevant to their intended research, including discipline-specific expertise.
b) Research methodology appropriate to the chosen discipline. The interview has a maximum duration of 30 minutes and awards up to 50 points.
5. Evaluation of the research project prepared for admission, or in the case of recruitment tied to a grant project, the author’s concept for implementing the project (maximum of 20 points). Assessment focuses on:
a) Formulation of the research objective and presentation of the research problem. Page 6 of 9
b) Originality of the research idea and approach to solving the research problem.
c) Methodology suited to the indicated discipline.
d) Awareness of the current state of research, supported by a basic bibliography.
e) The project’s significance for the development of the chosen discipline.
Condition of admission to the Doctoral School
Each candidate may be awarded a maximum of 100 points in the selection procedure.A candidate will be admitted to a doctoral school if he or she is awarded a sufficient number of points awarding a place on the ranking list, within the limit of candidates for a given scientific discipline; the candidate must also obtain at least 60 points from the entire selection procedure.
Education Program
Education at the doctoral school lasts 8 semesters. Education at the Doctoral School is offered on the basis of a framework curriculum and an individual research plan and ends with the submission of a doctoral dissertation.
The framework curriculum at the doctoral school includes a catalogue of modules of compulsory classes, elective compulsory classes and optional classes. It also:
1) defines their schedule
2) defines the way in which the classes are taught
3) defines how learning outcomes are verified.
Education begins on 1st October, 2025.
Supervisors
A doctoral student works under the supervision of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and auxiliary supervisor, who will be appointed by the Deputy Rector at the request of a doctoral student (within 3 months of the start of his or her studies at the Doctoral School).
Scholarships
The doctoral scholarship amounts to PLN 5000 (gross-gross) per month before the mid-term evaluation and PLN 6500 (gross-gross) per month after the mid-term evaluation for 12 months.