SupervisoryTeam

Supervisor Photo

Ana Zabalza

Supervisor Details

Email: ana.zabalza@unavarra.es

Organization Type: University

Organization Name: Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)

Short Biography: Major in Agricultural Engineering (1998, UPNA;with extraordinary Award) and Doctorate (2003, UPNA; second doctorate extraordinary award). Lecturer since 2003 in the Department of Sciences (UPNA). She has authored or co-authored (until September 2023) 39 articles in high-impact international journals (ISI) of Plant Sciences, Agriculture and Agronomy (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6954-6317). Other 8 different contributions (book chapters, dissemination articles). Editor of one book (in Spanish). 43 contributions to national conferences and 28 contributions to international conferences. Member of scientific and organizing committees at national conferences. She has participated in 8 funded research projects (7 at national and 1 at european level) and currently is the co-Principal Investigator of another one. Recognition of three six-annual research periods (sexenios): 2001-2018. Since November 2022 she is the President of the Spanish Weed Science Society (SEMh) http://semh.net/. Associate editor in Frontiers in Plant Science and Pest Management Science.

Co-Supervisor Photo

Luis Orcaray

Co-Supervisor Details

Email: lorcaray@intiasa.es

Organization Type: Non-academic institution

Organization Name: INTIASA

Short Biography: Major in Agriculture Engineer (2002, UPNA, Spain), MSc in Crop Science (2000, Wageningen) and PhD in Agronomy (2008, UPNA, Spain). 20 articles in high-impact international journals (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9832-1448). I have been co-director of two doctoral thesis and I am currently co-director of another doctoral thesis. Currently I am the Advice and Transfer Manager in INTIASA (Instituto Navarro de Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias) leading a group of 53 people.

Added Value: INTIASA develops applied research in the agricultural sector. There are carried out more than 200 field trials every year, and around 20 of them are about weed control with herbicides. The presence of this supervisor offers the opportunity to participate in these field trials to make the transition between basic and applied research. It is also offered their network of contacts with other public institutions dealing with the problem of the invasive weed Amaranthus palmeri. INTIASA participate in 14 European projects, one of them IPMWORKS, dealing with the implementation of Integrated Pest Management among farmers.

Supervisor Photo

Other Co-Supervisor

Email:

Organization Type:

Organization Name:

Short Biography:

ResearchGroup

Description: The supervising researcher is member of the Plant Physiology and Agrobiology Group at the Public University of Navarra. Specifically, the supervisor belongs to the research line of Herbicides inhibiting amino acids biosynthesis: mode of action and resistance, formed currently by three permanent researchers and two research collaborators. Under the facilities and equipment of the UPNA, basic physiological studies of weed physiology and some molecular experiments would be performed, stablishing the back-bone of the PhD project. The state of the art and the situation at field level of the studied weeds and herbicides would be covered during the secondment in INTIA. The proposed stays in the two excellent international labs proposed as collaborators (Colorado State University and University of Oxford) would offer the PhD student a deeper knowledge of herbicide metabolism regulation and the opportunity to learn new molecular techniques, such as Activity- based protein profiling, ABPP.

ResearchLine

Description: Herbicide metabolism in weeds: role in the mode of action and in non-target site resistance mechanisms. Herbicide metabolism in the treated plant can be considered from two points of view. In sensitive weeds, herbicide can be metabolized as part of the physiological effects triggered by it.”In resistant weeds, herbicide metabolization is considered as a possible resistance mechanism no related to the target that is specifically inhibited by the compound. In this PhD project the metabolization of two important types of herbicides will be studied: glyphosate and acetolactate synthase inhibiting herbicides by studying the main enzymes related to xenobiotic detoxification: Glutathion S-transferases and CytP450 enzymes. As plant material in the study, there will be available several populations of the Amaranthus palmeri (invasive weed in Spain) with different resistances patterns and several problematic populations from fields in Navarre would be screened and selected.

CareerDevelopment

Objectives

  • Future postdoc employment at the University
  • Increased employability in the non-academic sector
  • International mobility
  • Building collaborative networks
  • Trainings to enhance career opportunities
  • Application of postdoctoral grants (MSCA, Juan de la Cierva, etc.)
  • Application for projects and funding (Horizon Europe, national plans, etc.)
  • Involvement in teaching, supervision, or mentoring

Expected Outputs

  • PhD defense
  • Application of grants (MSCA, Juan de la Cierva, etc.)
  • Publication of articles
  • Attendance to international conferences

Training Skills

  • Time Management
  • Teaching
  • Leadership
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