Illuminating the role of green nectaries in floral nectar secretion

About this opportunity

Floral nectaries are the vital secretory organs that produce the sugary attractant for many pollinators. Nectaries are crucial for plant reproduction, biodiversity and food security. Nectaries are also common on leaves and stems, where they attract beneficial predatory insects.  Surprisingly, how nectaries actually make nectar remains an open question, with the current explanation stating that nectar sugars are synthesized from starch stored in non-green plastids before the flower opens. However, many nectaries are green, including those of many important tree species. We propose that the green chloroplasts found in green nectaries are involved in both nectar sugar production, and the regulation of nectar flow and composition in response to environmental signals, such as light. Advancing our understanding of nectary biology has broad significance for our understanding of plant reproductive ecology, and has applications in agriculture, crop improvement and management.

We seek two PhD candidates for this exciting opportunity to investigate the evolution and functioning of nectaries. Both students will be enrolled at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, and supervised by Associate Professor Mike Clearwater (University of Waikato), Dr Kevin Davies and Ella Grierson (NZ Institute for Plant and Food Research), and Professor Clay Carter (University of Minnesota).

PhD candidate One will be based at the University of Waikato, where they will contribute to the study of the ecological and phylogenetic distribution of nectary types, nectary anatomy and nectary functioning.

PhD candidate Two will be based at Plant and Food Research in Palmerston North, and will contribute to the development of model species with green nectaries, and the genetic and molecular control of nectar secretion. Both students will have the opportunity to develop their own research questions within the broader outlines of the project.

Location

PhD candidate One will be based at the University of Waikato, where they will contribute to the study of the ecological and phylogenetic distribution of nectary types, nectary anatomy and nectary functioning.

PhD candidate Two will be based at Plant and Food Research in Palmerston North, and will contribute to the development of model species with green nectaries, and the genetic and molecular control of nectar secretion. Both students will have the opportunity to develop their own research questions within the broader outlines of the project.

Scholarship Value

This project is funded by an award from the New Zealand Marsden Fund.

Both positions will receive a full PhD stipend of $NZ 35,000 per annum for three years, plus tuition fees, opportunities for conference attendance, and exchange between our laboratories at the University of Waikato, Plant and Food Research Palmerston North, and the University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota.

Applicants must meet the entry requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Waikato

Additional criteria: 

• Have backgrounds in plant physiology, phylogenetic analysis and anatomy (Position One), plant physiology and molecular biology (Position Two)
• Experience in laboratory, glasshouse or field-based experimentation with plants
• Experience with and / or a willingness to learn how to use complex equipment (such as gas exchange systems, microscopes, HPLC and PCR)
• Have statistical skills (preferably using R, especially for Position One), and / or experience using bioinformatic tools (e.g. Geneious, especially for Position Two)
• Excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken)
• An open mind and willingness to learn and work in a team
• A full driver's license