The Graduate School at the IPK Scientific coordinator: Prof. Dr. Nicolaus von Wirén Administrative coordinator: Dr. Britt Leps The IPK Gatersleben and Martin-Luther University establish a graduate school entitled “Yield Formation in cereals – overcoming yield-limiting factors”. The school has been funded under the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation 2012 program by the Leibniz Association, and represents the IPK and MLU’s goal of establishing a joint graduate school which takes advantage of both institutions’ academic excellence in crop plant research. The graduate school is a structural component of the newly established “Science campus Halle plant-based bioeconomy”.

Structural framework Leibniz- Graduate School Leibniz- Graduate School ScienceCampus Halle „Plant-based bio-economy“ Faculty for Natural Sciences I (Biology) Faculty for Natural Sciences III (Agricultural Sciences) Faculty for Natural Sciences I (Biology) Faculty for Natural Sciences III (Agricultural Sciences) Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Other Leibniz- Graduate Schools Other Leibniz- Graduate Schools Graduate Programs of the Martin-Luther University

Development of the IPK graduate school Leibniz-funded graduate school “Yield formation in cereals – overcoming yield-limiting factors” (8 PhD candidates) PhD program at the IPK with PhD seminars, PSSC conference, workshops etc. (total > 80 PhD candidates) IPK Graduate School (open to all PhD candidates)

to provide the basis for a target-oriented and structured progression of the doctoral study to offer a wider range of technical and scientific support as well as personal assistance to ensure a high quality of scientific work within the framework of the doctoral study Goals of the graduate school to establish a mutual responsibility between the PhD student and the supervisor to better recognize the individual potential and to adapt training and educational needs to individual skills and qualifications to promote besides scientific excellence also personal competences

Lecture series Technical/methodological courses PhD Seminars Progress seminars/lab meetings Conferences and excursions Non-scientific lectures (“soft skill courses”) Elements of the educational concept Common elements Thesis committee Research proposal 1 st and 2 nd year report Lab rotations Individual elements  documentation in the study record book

The Study Record Book facilitates the organisation of the PhD study documents the progress of PhD work documents the participation in coursework Purpose  basis for obtaining a “PhD certificate” independent of the PhD regulations (“Promotionsordnung”) of the university  every PhD student will maintain her/his proper study record book

Lectures and courses Dr. T. Sharbel The evolution of sex Hybridization Genomic parasites and evolution Dr. M. Melzer Cell biological studies in plant research: Fluorescence and Confocal Microscopy Histological and ultrastructural analysis of plant tissue using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy Dr. H.P. Mock Proteomics Dr. N. Stein Structural genomics of barley, wheat and rye Dr. W. Weschke Maternal-filial interactions in developing cereal grains (W. Weschke) PCD in plant development (V. Radchuk) Molecular physiology of seed development in legumes (H. Weber) Dr. T. Sharbel Genetic variation in natural plant population Dr. M. Melzer Kurs für Histologie und Elektronenmikroskopie. (Hands-on histology and electron microscopy in plant research) Konfokale Mikroskopie mit dem CLSM und dem Spinning Disc Mikroskop. (Hands-on confocal microscopy in plant research. Dr. N. Stein Basics in map-based gene isolation in barley Dr. W. Weschke Microdissection and expression analysis of developing seed tissues WPs LMPC-based microdissection (responsible: J. Thiel) mRNA isolation and amplification at the micro scale (responsible: V. Radchuk) Tissue-specific expression analysis (in cooperation with N. Sreenivasulu) (responsible: R. Radchuk)

Lectures and courses Dr. B. Kilian Plant Domestication: wheat and barley (2 lectures) Dr. M. Röder Basic concepts of applied genetics Dr. T. Schnurbusch Introduction to Cereal Developmental Genetics Dr. J. Keller Principles of cryopreservation for germplasm storage in plant genebanks Dr. J. Kumlehn Genetic transformation of cereals Haploid technology in plant research and crop improvement Dr. A. Börner Conservation and Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources in the Federal ex situ Genebank in Gatersleben in combination with a visitto the gene bank Dr. T. Schnurbusch Practical course incl. hands-on training on tiller and spike microscopy, dissections and preparations Dr. J. Keller Cryopreservation methods for storage of potato, garlic and mint germplasm Dr. J. Kumlehn Plant cell culture and genetic transformation

Dr. A. Houben Current topics of molecular cytogenetics (2 lectures) Prof. v. Wirén Nutrient sensing Membrane transport systems Prof. F. Schreiber 1. Basics of bioinformatics 2. Databases and information systems for biology 3. Basics of sequence analysis 4. Introduction to statistics and transcriptome analysis 5. Biological networks 6. Modeling and simulation 7. Genebank documentation and information networks for plant genetics resources and biodiversity 8. Plant phenotyping Prof. v. Wirén Metabolome and ionome analysis A molecular, pharmacological and analytical approach to phytohormonal actions Prof. K. Humbeck Leaf senescence - background and methods Lectures and courses