Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre SAS
Topic
Transgenerational effects of chronic ionizing radiation in aquatic plants
PhD. program
plant physiology
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Maksym Danchenko, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University
Annotation
Ionizing radiation affects aquatic ecosystems shaped by plants. It disrupts biochemical and physiological homeostasis, inducing DNA damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Recently, we theoretically explained and experimentally demonstrated compromised immunity in chronically irradiated plants (doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171567 and doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179614). Aquatic plants in Chornobyl zone are continuously exposed to contaminating radionuclides; thus, they might develop stress memory that persists across generations. We hypothesize that such epigenetically maintained adaptive memory modifies phenotypes of progeny plants: Their radioresistance, nuclear proteome, and immunity. Seeds of common reed (Phragmites australis), a widely distributed potential bioenergy plant, were collected from well-characterized relatively clean and radiologically polluted water reserves within Chornobyl zone. They will be challenged by testing chronic irradiation in the facility of a foreign collaborator and then grown hydroponically. Nuclear proteome profiling by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry might reveal reactive regulatory and structural proteins. Plausible mechanisms of inheritance—differentially methylated genetic regions—will be explored using bisulfide sequencing. Fungal infection intensity will be assessed microscopically, followed by targeted expression analyses of critical immunity-related genes. Novel results should clarify mechanisms and consequences of transgenerational adaptation to growth in a radiologically polluted environment. We require enthusiasm for deep theoretical analysis, commitment to mastering experimental skills, and professional/personal integrity. We offer advanced experimental training, an opportunity for an international internship, developing soft competencies (such as scientific writing and communication), a lively multicultural environment, and a supportive spirit in the regional center (Nitra). Major national agencies, such as APVV, fund research in the laboratory. Student should present at visible international forums (for example, Plant Biology Europe) and publish in top professional media (such as Journal of Experimental Botany).