Studies start in September 2023
Deadline for applications: Tuesday, 16th of May 2023 (2 p.m.)
Submit Application
Information from the Department Secretary:
Contact Form | Tel.: 25002436 | Fax: 25002767
One (1) position in: “Evaluation of phenolic composition and bioactivity of native pharmaceutical plants with the employment of state-of-the-art chromatographic techniques”
Description: The pharmaceutical plants are a boundless reservoir of bioactive compounds that are linked with diverse pharmacological effects. Cyprus is located at the crossroads of the three major flora zones of Europe, Asia and Africa; therefore a significant number of native and endemic plants is grown on the island. The objective of the present thesis is to develop hyphenated techniques where a chromatographic technique is coupled with an on-line spectroscopic technique and/or a biochemical assay for the assessment of bioactivity. The state-of-the-art hyphenated techniques allow the fishing of bioactive compounds in pharmaceutical plants without laborious and time-consuming steps of isolation and structural characterization. The implementation of the thesis will provide an integrated platform of high resolution for the study of possible pharmacological effects of native plants.
Required Qualifications: Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Agricultural Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related disciplines. Applicants must have an excellent working knowledge of the English language. Previous relevant research experience will be considered. Candidates will have to support interview for the current position.
Funding: The candidate can potentially be employed as a teaching assistant, receive an internal scholarship from the University, based on his/her excellence, while he/she can participate in funded research projects which potentially can secure a scholarship.
Research Advisor: Vlasios Goulas, Assistant Professor, vlasios.goulas@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Greenhouse crops and intensive cultivation systems (i.e. Hydroponics) for the vegetables and Aromatic Plant production”
Required Qualifications: Bachelor and Master from an accredited University in Agricultural Sciences or Biology or related disciplines. Applicants should be fluent in English. Previous relevant research experience will be considered.
Funding: No funding is foreseen for this position at this stage. Chosen candidate may be hired as teaching assistant, or upon his/her performance acquire internal scholarships. The candidate may be funded through external funding sources (research or services).
Research Advisor: Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Assistant Professor, nikolaos.tzortzakis@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: «Postharvest Physiology and Technology of Fresh Produce/ Alternative processing methods and their effects on quality and safety»
Required Qualifications: Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Agricultural Sciences, Food Science/Technology or Food Chemistry or other relevant degree in the area. Applicants should be fluent in English. Previous relevant research experience will be considered. Candidates will have to support interview for the current position.
Funding: No funding is foreseen for this position at this stage. Chosen candidate may be hired as teaching assistant, or upon his/her performance acquire internal scholarships. The candidate may be funded through external funding sources (research or services).
Research Advisor: Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Assistant Professor, nikolaos.tzortzakis@cut.ac.cy;
One (1) position in: “Adaptation of Cypriot agriculture to the new framework of the Farm to Fork Strategy”
Description: The new EU “Farm to Fork” Strategy aims at the development of a sustainable food production system. One of the main targets of the “Farm to Fork” Strategy is the reduction in pesticide use by 50% through 2030. However, there is still a long way to achieving the target, as most agricultural production relies heavily on pesticides for plant protection. The goal of the current project is to assess and develop novel crop protection practices, based on agroecological principles, to reduce the reliance on chemical pest control, in key crops. Results from the project can aid the design of public policy, as well as the uptake of greener pest control methods by farmers.
Required Qualifications: Candidates are expected to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited University in Agricultural Sciences or Ecology or related disciplines. Applicants must have an excellent working knowledge of the English language. Previous relevant research experience, especially on modelling, is highly valued.
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence when and if available participating in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Menelaos Stavrinides, Associate Professor, m.stavrinides@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Investigating the role of ACC in plant defense against the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae”
Description: Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne pathogen that affects a wide range of hosts including many economically important crops. The management of the disease caused by V. dahliae is particularly difficult, as no curative measures exist once the plants are infected. The investigation of plant defense responses against the pathogen can provide knowledge for the development of solutions for sustainable agriculture. The aim of the PhD thesis is to investigate the role of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) in the interaction of plants with the pathogen Verticillium dahliae and in the induction of plant defense mechanisms.
Required Qualifications: Candidates should hold a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from accredited Universities in Agricultural Sciences/Biological Sciences or other related scientific fields. Candidates should perform very well in English (writing and verbal skills). Previous relevant research experience is highly valued. Evaluation includes a personal interview of the applicants.
Funding: The qualified candidate will be funded from existing funding sources of the research advisor. Moreover, depending on his/her field of expertise and qualifications, the candidate may be offered a teaching assistantship for lab-based courses of the Department, receive internal scholarships of the University based on excellence and participate in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Iakovos Pantelides, Assistant Professor, iakovos.pantelides@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Investigation of suppressive soils against vascular wilt pathogens in Cyprus”
Description: Vascular wilt diseases are caused by soil-borne pathogens that infect plants and induce significant losses in many crops of economic importance. Vascular wilt pathogens are difficult to control because they can survive in the soil for extended periods of time and there are no effective chemical treatments to inhibit their growth once the plants are infected. The research aims to study the suppressiveness of agricultural soils in Cyprus against vascular wilt pathogens, the factors that impact the robustness of the suppressiveness and the practices contributing to its onset. The overall objective is to develop alternative crop management strategies making plants more resistant to vascular wilt pathogens.
Required Qualifications: Candidates should hold a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from accredited Universities in Agricultural Sciences/Biological Sciences or other related scientific fields. Candidates should perform very well in English (writing and verbal skills). Previous relevant research experience is highly valued. Evaluation includes a personal interview of the applicants.
Funding: The qualified candidate will be funded from existing funding sources of the research advisor. Moreover, depending on his/her field of expertise and qualifications, the candidate may be offered a teaching assistantship for lab-based courses of the Department, receive internal scholarships of the University based on excellence and participate in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Iakovos Pantelides, Assistant Professor, iakovos.pantelides@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Potential applications of novel engineered nanomaterials in plant-microorganism interactions”
Description: the doctoral study aims to develop and evaluate plant priming technologies coupled with advanced nanomaterials, with the goal to achieve improved growth and production under biotic stress conditions (such as bacterial infection) and to examine potential interactions with plant beneficial microorganisms. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the supervisor for further information.
Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited University in Agricultural/Biological Sciences. Fluency in English language is required
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence when and if available or by participating in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Vassilis Fotopoulos, Associate Professor, vassilis.fotopoulos@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Research on the use of alternative forage plants, and by-products, in ruminant nutrition with the scope of improved quality of the end product”
Description: The purpose of the research project is to study the use of alternative forage plants and by-products in ruminant nutrition both for the improvement of the end-products (eg halloumi) and for the multiple effects this has on the environment, the soil and the local community. Thus, a part of the research concerns the use of pastures and forage pastures, as applied today in Cyprus, while the main part of the research concerns field experiments with new cultivation practices (e.g. no-tillage), with alternative plants (forage legumes, mixtures) adapted to dry climates for forage production and use in ruminants. The use of alternative feeds in animal nutrition, as well as by-products rich in beneficial fatty acids and phenols (eg olive oil by-products), have been investigated in our laboratory and have attracted the interest of industry and producers. As a continuation, this PhD investigates (a) possible alternative forage plants and their cultivation methods in Cyprus, (b) their use for feeding ruminants, in combination with by-products, to create special products (eg grass-fed halloumi) (c ) the effect they may have on their digestive physiology, the quantity/quality of milk, as well as on the expression of genes involved in metabolism, and (c) the overall effect that this use of alternative plants has on social, economic and environmental level (quality local products, reduction of feed imports, increased forage production and carbon sequestration, soil health and improved water retention, etc.).
Required Qualifications: Applicants for the above post must possess a Bachelor's and Master's Degree (or only a Bachelor's Degree with a grade above 8.5/10) from a recognized University in one of the following fields: General Agriculture or Animal Production or Crop Production or Veterinary Medicine or Biology or other related field and want to carry out research on alternative forage plants and ruminants. In addition, candidates must have a very good knowledge of the Greek and English languages (level C1-C2), while previous research experience is considered an additional qualification.
Funding: The candidate may potentially be employed as a teaching assistant, receive merit-based internal scholarship from the University or other source, and may participate in funded research projects or fieldwork that may earn them a scholarship.
The candidate will receive funding of €1200 per month from external funding secured within the framework of the research project, and may potentially be employed as a teaching assistant, or receive, based on excellence, an internal scholarship from the University or other source.
Research Advisor: Ouranios Tzamaloukas Associate Professor, ouranios.tzamaloukas@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Proteomic and expression analysis of genes involved in ruminants lipid metabolism”
Description: Fat quality of dairy products is correlated to consumers’ health. The research aims to study the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolic pathways at both transcriptional and translational level and illustrate the molecular processes determining the content of milk fat in fatty acids related to human health. The research requires a particular interest in the subjects of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and will be conducted in collaboration with Universities and Research Institutes abroad.
Required Qualifications: Candidates are expected to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited University in Agricultural, Animal or Veterinary Sciences or Biology or related disciplines. Applicants should be fluent in English. Previous relevant research experience is highly valued.
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence when and if available or by participating in funded research grants or provide technical and/or administrative support when needed.
Research Advisor: Despoina Miltiadou, Associate Professor, despoina.miltiadou@cut.ac.cy,
Two (2) positions in: “Agricultural Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology”
Description: The proposed research will be in the field of Agricultural Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology with indicative topics such as studies of microbial communities in various agrifood systems, agroindustrial fermentations (development of new products, study and optimization of current), biosensors for microbial detection, antimicrobial resistance in agrifood and environmental ecosystems.
Required Qualifications: Candidates are expected to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited university in Agricultural Sciences or Food Science and Technology or Microbiology other relevant fields. Special emphasis in Microbiology or Biotechnology or Molecular Biology as well as practical (laboratory or field/industry) experience will be considered an advantage. Applicants must have a very good knowledge of the English language. Candidates will be interviewed for the current position. Applicants are advised to submit a letter of their interests in the field of Agricultural Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology showing independent thinking and ideation capacity.
Agricultural Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory is an equal opportunity, motivational and inspirational team for all applicants and its members.
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence, when and if available, and participate in research grants.
Research Advisor: Dimitris Tsaltas, Associate Professor, dimitris.tsaltas@cut.ac.cy
Further information can be obtain by contacting either the Research Advisor of each position or the Department's Secretary (Tel.: 25002436, Fax: 25002767)
Phd Posts - Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science
Studies start in September 2023
Deadline for applications: Tuesday, 16th of May 2023 (2 p.m.)
Submit Application
Information from the Department Secretary:
Contact Form | Tel.: 25002436 | Fax: 25002767
One (1) position in: “Evaluation of phenolic composition and bioactivity of native pharmaceutical plants with the employment of state-of-the-art chromatographic techniques”
Description: The pharmaceutical plants are a boundless reservoir of bioactive compounds that are linked with diverse pharmacological effects. Cyprus is located at the crossroads of the three major flora zones of Europe, Asia and Africa; therefore a significant number of native and endemic plants is grown on the island. The objective of the present thesis is to develop hyphenated techniques where a chromatographic technique is coupled with an on-line spectroscopic technique and/or a biochemical assay for the assessment of bioactivity. The state-of-the-art hyphenated techniques allow the fishing of bioactive compounds in pharmaceutical plants without laborious and time-consuming steps of isolation and structural characterization. The implementation of the thesis will provide an integrated platform of high resolution for the study of possible pharmacological effects of native plants.
Required Qualifications: Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Agricultural Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related disciplines. Applicants must have an excellent working knowledge of the English language. Previous relevant research experience will be considered. Candidates will have to support interview for the current position.
Funding: The candidate can potentially be employed as a teaching assistant, receive an internal scholarship from the University, based on his/her excellence, while he/she can participate in funded research projects which potentially can secure a scholarship.
Research Advisor: Vlasios Goulas, Assistant Professor, vlasios.goulas@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Greenhouse crops and intensive cultivation systems (i.e. Hydroponics) for the vegetables and Aromatic Plant production”
Required Qualifications: Bachelor and Master from an accredited University in Agricultural Sciences or Biology or related disciplines. Applicants should be fluent in English. Previous relevant research experience will be considered.
Funding: No funding is foreseen for this position at this stage. Chosen candidate may be hired as teaching assistant, or upon his/her performance acquire internal scholarships. The candidate may be funded through external funding sources (research or services).
Research Advisor: Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Assistant Professor, nikolaos.tzortzakis@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: «Postharvest Physiology and Technology of Fresh Produce/ Alternative processing methods and their effects on quality and safety»
Required Qualifications: Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Agricultural Sciences, Food Science/Technology or Food Chemistry or other relevant degree in the area. Applicants should be fluent in English. Previous relevant research experience will be considered. Candidates will have to support interview for the current position.
Funding: No funding is foreseen for this position at this stage. Chosen candidate may be hired as teaching assistant, or upon his/her performance acquire internal scholarships. The candidate may be funded through external funding sources (research or services).
Research Advisor: Nikolaos Tzortzakis, Assistant Professor, nikolaos.tzortzakis@cut.ac.cy;
One (1) position in: “Adaptation of Cypriot agriculture to the new framework of the Farm to Fork Strategy”
Description: The new EU “Farm to Fork” Strategy aims at the development of a sustainable food production system. One of the main targets of the “Farm to Fork” Strategy is the reduction in pesticide use by 50% through 2030. However, there is still a long way to achieving the target, as most agricultural production relies heavily on pesticides for plant protection. The goal of the current project is to assess and develop novel crop protection practices, based on agroecological principles, to reduce the reliance on chemical pest control, in key crops. Results from the project can aid the design of public policy, as well as the uptake of greener pest control methods by farmers.
Required Qualifications: Candidates are expected to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited University in Agricultural Sciences or Ecology or related disciplines. Applicants must have an excellent working knowledge of the English language. Previous relevant research experience, especially on modelling, is highly valued.
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence when and if available participating in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Menelaos Stavrinides, Associate Professor, m.stavrinides@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Investigating the role of ACC in plant defense against the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae”
Description: Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne pathogen that affects a wide range of hosts including many economically important crops. The management of the disease caused by V. dahliae is particularly difficult, as no curative measures exist once the plants are infected. The investigation of plant defense responses against the pathogen can provide knowledge for the development of solutions for sustainable agriculture. The aim of the PhD thesis is to investigate the role of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) in the interaction of plants with the pathogen Verticillium dahliae and in the induction of plant defense mechanisms.
Required Qualifications: Candidates should hold a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from accredited Universities in Agricultural Sciences/Biological Sciences or other related scientific fields. Candidates should perform very well in English (writing and verbal skills). Previous relevant research experience is highly valued. Evaluation includes a personal interview of the applicants.
Funding: The qualified candidate will be funded from existing funding sources of the research advisor. Moreover, depending on his/her field of expertise and qualifications, the candidate may be offered a teaching assistantship for lab-based courses of the Department, receive internal scholarships of the University based on excellence and participate in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Iakovos Pantelides, Assistant Professor, iakovos.pantelides@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Investigation of suppressive soils against vascular wilt pathogens in Cyprus”
Description: Vascular wilt diseases are caused by soil-borne pathogens that infect plants and induce significant losses in many crops of economic importance. Vascular wilt pathogens are difficult to control because they can survive in the soil for extended periods of time and there are no effective chemical treatments to inhibit their growth once the plants are infected. The research aims to study the suppressiveness of agricultural soils in Cyprus against vascular wilt pathogens, the factors that impact the robustness of the suppressiveness and the practices contributing to its onset. The overall objective is to develop alternative crop management strategies making plants more resistant to vascular wilt pathogens.
Required Qualifications: Candidates should hold a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from accredited Universities in Agricultural Sciences/Biological Sciences or other related scientific fields. Candidates should perform very well in English (writing and verbal skills). Previous relevant research experience is highly valued. Evaluation includes a personal interview of the applicants.
Funding: The qualified candidate will be funded from existing funding sources of the research advisor. Moreover, depending on his/her field of expertise and qualifications, the candidate may be offered a teaching assistantship for lab-based courses of the Department, receive internal scholarships of the University based on excellence and participate in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Iakovos Pantelides, Assistant Professor, iakovos.pantelides@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Potential applications of novel engineered nanomaterials in plant-microorganism interactions”
Description: the doctoral study aims to develop and evaluate plant priming technologies coupled with advanced nanomaterials, with the goal to achieve improved growth and production under biotic stress conditions (such as bacterial infection) and to examine potential interactions with plant beneficial microorganisms. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the supervisor for further information.
Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited University in Agricultural/Biological Sciences. Fluency in English language is required
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence when and if available or by participating in funded research grants.
Research Advisor: Vassilis Fotopoulos, Associate Professor, vassilis.fotopoulos@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Research on the use of alternative forage plants, and by-products, in ruminant nutrition with the scope of improved quality of the end product”
Description: The purpose of the research project is to study the use of alternative forage plants and by-products in ruminant nutrition both for the improvement of the end-products (eg halloumi) and for the multiple effects this has on the environment, the soil and the local community. Thus, a part of the research concerns the use of pastures and forage pastures, as applied today in Cyprus, while the main part of the research concerns field experiments with new cultivation practices (e.g. no-tillage), with alternative plants (forage legumes, mixtures) adapted to dry climates for forage production and use in ruminants. The use of alternative feeds in animal nutrition, as well as by-products rich in beneficial fatty acids and phenols (eg olive oil by-products), have been investigated in our laboratory and have attracted the interest of industry and producers. As a continuation, this PhD investigates (a) possible alternative forage plants and their cultivation methods in Cyprus, (b) their use for feeding ruminants, in combination with by-products, to create special products (eg grass-fed halloumi) (c ) the effect they may have on their digestive physiology, the quantity/quality of milk, as well as on the expression of genes involved in metabolism, and (c) the overall effect that this use of alternative plants has on social, economic and environmental level (quality local products, reduction of feed imports, increased forage production and carbon sequestration, soil health and improved water retention, etc.).
Required Qualifications: Applicants for the above post must possess a Bachelor's and Master's Degree (or only a Bachelor's Degree with a grade above 8.5/10) from a recognized University in one of the following fields: General Agriculture or Animal Production or Crop Production or Veterinary Medicine or Biology or other related field and want to carry out research on alternative forage plants and ruminants. In addition, candidates must have a very good knowledge of the Greek and English languages (level C1-C2), while previous research experience is considered an additional qualification.
Funding: The candidate may potentially be employed as a teaching assistant, receive merit-based internal scholarship from the University or other source, and may participate in funded research projects or fieldwork that may earn them a scholarship.
The candidate will receive funding of €1200 per month from external funding secured within the framework of the research project, and may potentially be employed as a teaching assistant, or receive, based on excellence, an internal scholarship from the University or other source.
Research Advisor: Ouranios Tzamaloukas Associate Professor, ouranios.tzamaloukas@cut.ac.cy
One (1) position in: “Proteomic and expression analysis of genes involved in ruminants lipid metabolism”
Description: Fat quality of dairy products is correlated to consumers’ health. The research aims to study the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolic pathways at both transcriptional and translational level and illustrate the molecular processes determining the content of milk fat in fatty acids related to human health. The research requires a particular interest in the subjects of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and will be conducted in collaboration with Universities and Research Institutes abroad.
Required Qualifications: Candidates are expected to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited University in Agricultural, Animal or Veterinary Sciences or Biology or related disciplines. Applicants should be fluent in English. Previous relevant research experience is highly valued.
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence when and if available or by participating in funded research grants or provide technical and/or administrative support when needed.
Research Advisor: Despoina Miltiadou, Associate Professor, despoina.miltiadou@cut.ac.cy,
Two (2) positions in: “Agricultural Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology”
Description: The proposed research will be in the field of Agricultural Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology with indicative topics such as studies of microbial communities in various agrifood systems, agroindustrial fermentations (development of new products, study and optimization of current), biosensors for microbial detection, antimicrobial resistance in agrifood and environmental ecosystems.
Required Qualifications: Candidates are expected to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an accredited university in Agricultural Sciences or Food Science and Technology or Microbiology other relevant fields. Special emphasis in Microbiology or Biotechnology or Molecular Biology as well as practical (laboratory or field/industry) experience will be considered an advantage. Applicants must have a very good knowledge of the English language. Candidates will be interviewed for the current position. Applicants are advised to submit a letter of their interests in the field of Agricultural Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology showing independent thinking and ideation capacity.
Agricultural Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory is an equal opportunity, motivational and inspirational team for all applicants and its members.
Funding: Qualified candidates could be funded as teaching assistants, receive internal scholarships based on excellence, when and if available, and participate in research grants.
Research Advisor: Dimitris Tsaltas, Associate Professor, dimitris.tsaltas@cut.ac.cy
Further information can be obtain by contacting either the Research Advisor of each position or the Department's Secretary (Tel.: 25002436, Fax: 25002767)
