"Exploring Raffinose Family Oligosaccharide (RFO) metabolism and signalling to develop superior legumes"

Exploring Raffinose Family Oligosaccharide (RFO) metabolism and signalling to develop superior legumes

(ref. BAP-2025-487)

Laatst aangepast: 30/07/25

The Van den Ende Lab is internationally recognized for its expertise in fructan and Raffinose Family Oligosaccharide (RFO) metabolism in plants. Our Sugar Metabolism team explores the critical roles of RFOs in legume development and plant stress responses (particularly drought). As part of the global effort to reduce environmental impact and enhance food security, legume-based proteins are gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to meat—a movement known as the “protein shift.” Legumes not only serve as rich protein sources but also offer eco-friendly cultivation benefits, including drought tolerance and nitrogen fixation.

A key challenge, however, lies in optimizing RFO content in beans:

*Increase RFOs in vegetative tissues for enhanced stress resilience.

*Reduce RFOs in bean seeds to minimize flatulence and improve consumer acceptance.

Website van de eenheid

Project

In a rapidly changing world, the European Union is working to reduce its reliance on imported protein-rich soybeans, primarily used for feed. There is an urgent need for locally grown, climate-resilient legumes (garden beans, fava beans) that are suitable for human consumption, in support of the shift from animal-based to plant-based proteins (the protein shift), for more sustainable agriculture. However, anti-nutritional factors, such as Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides (RFOs), limit the frequent inclusion of beans in diets, as they cause intestinal discomfort. At the same time, RFOs play a crucial role under drought in legume leaves, possibly even functioning as signalling molecules. This project combines gene expression analysis under drought conditions with structure-function and evolutionary studies on RFO-related enzymes, to develop tools for creating improved legume varieties. These new varieties will have enhanced RFO levels in leaves to combat drought and other stresses, while reducing RFO content in seeds, thereby retaining prebiotic, health promoting benefits. Additionally, the project will investigate whether exogenous RFO treatments, applied before drought, can improve legume biomass and yield under drought. Finally, novel enzymes will be developed that produce new galacto-oligosaccharides, and the prebiotic properties of their products will be compared to traditional RFOs and fructans.

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD fellow passionate about plant biochemistry, sugar metabolism, and enzyme structure-function relationships. The project will combine:

Wet lab techniques: plant drought responses, RNAseq, mutagenesis, heterologous expression, sugar quantification, prebiotic tests, enzymology.

Dry lab approaches: phylogeny, enzyme modeling, sugar docking, molecular dynamics, structural biology.

Profile

The requirements for the PhD position are the following:

·    You hold a master’s degree in biology, biochemistry and biotechnology, chemistry, bioengeneering, engineering technology or biomedical sciences (cum laude)

·    You have knowledge of and strong interest in plant biochemistry, enzymology, sustainable agriculture and bioinformatics.

·    You are a team player, a problem solver, and possess a critical mind

·    You are eager to learn new techniques or methods

·    You work independently and accurately

·    You have demonstrated verbal and written communication skills in English

·    You are communicative and willing to present research results at (inter)national conferences, via social media and through teaching activities

·    You are willing to support the research team with teaching activities/ supervise student/ thesis projects.

Offer

We offer a full-time PhD position for a duration of four years, starting on October 1st, 2025, subject to positive evaluations by your PhD committee at 9 and 24 months.

Remuneration will follow the KU Leuven salary scales (https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/phd/phd-information#working-conditions), and you will benefit from the comprehensive Belgian social security system.

You will join a highly collaborative and innovative research team, where mutual support, knowledge exchange, and professional development are actively encouraged. We provide a stimulating and inclusive environment where your contributions are appreciated and your growth as an independent researcher is a central priority.

As part of your training, you will gain expertise in a broad range of advanced techniques, and have the opportunity to participate in both national and international scientific meetings. You will also be supported in building your own research network, preparing you for a successful career in science.

Interested?

Are you ready to contribute to the protein shift and plant sustainability?

Apply now to become part of a dynamic research team at the forefront of plant sugar metabolism and sustainable agriculture.

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Wim Van den Ende, tel.: +32 16 32 19 52, mail: wim.vandenende@kuleuven.be.

You can apply for this job no later than August 29, 2025 via the online application tool

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