PhD position on Tree Growth and Wood Physiology

• Location

The Technical University of Munich (TUM)

• Missions

You will investigate how water and carbon availability jointly control tree growth at the cell level, with a focus on wood formation and its hormonal regulation. Using innovative factorial experiments with juvenile trees in climate chambers, you will manipulate drought and carbohydrate supply to tease apart their roles in controlling cambial activity, cell enlargement, and wall thickening. You will combine high-resolution dendrometer records with analyses of wood anatomy, carbohydrate pools, hydraulic traits, and hormonal profiles to uncover the mechanisms by which drought limits growth. Building on these experiments, you will extend the framework to mature trees using a unique canopy crane facility. Your findings will provide the empirical foundation for mechanistic modelling of tree growth under climate change and directly inform the other work packages of the project.

• Skills

-Completed master studies in the field of ecophysiology, plant biology, forest growth sciences or related fields
-Interested in tree growth, experimentation, and plant functioning
-Good quantitative skills (e.g., statistical analysis, coding in R, data management)

• Application

Please send your application, consisting of a complete CV and a concise motivation letter, by October 25, 2025, at the latest to:
Technical University of Munich
Chair of Tree Growth and Wood Physiology
attn. Barbara Bauer
Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2
85354 Freising, Germany
Email: bbauer@tum.de

• Contact

For questions about the position, please contact Prof. Richard Peters, richard.peters@tum.de