International PhD Scholarships in Agrobiodiversity in Italy | Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna

The International Ph.D. Programme in Agrobiodiversity is aimed at the enhancement of human resource capacities in the use and management of genetic variation in agricultural and natural systems, in order to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems and the conservation of genetic resources for the well-being of present and future generations.

The Programme is structured into two curricula:

• Curriculum A - Plant genetic resources;
• Curriculum B - Functional biodiversity in agroecosystems.

Research areas will include the analysis of:

• Genetic variation in single genes and entire genomes of agricultural and forestry plants and their wild relatives;
• Mechanisms that control the variability in genes and/or groups of genes, as those involved in resistance to pathogens and/or pests and tolerance to environmental factors;
• Role of functional biodiversity in maintaining genetic diversity, including evolution and co-evolution of pests/pathogens and host plants;
• Role of functional diversity, including interactions between pests/ pathogens/weeds and domesticated/volunteer/wild plants, in agroecosystem health;
• Plant and crop physiology, including plant stress physiology and post-harvest physiology:
• Options for applying the acquired knowledge, as a prerequisite for crop improvement, crop protection, sustainable crop/agroforestry management and multifunctional land use.