Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology

Postdoctoral Position in Plant Chemical Ecology

5/29/2025

Postdoctoral Position in Plant Chemical Ecology
We are inviting applications for a postdoctoral researcher to join our project exploring the drivers and functional roles of phytochemical diversity in plants.
Project Overview
Our research investigates the remarkable diversity of plant metabolites and their correlations with biotic and abiotic stressors at a global scale. To test our hypotheses, we focus on the Salicaceae family that represents a unique model system, being globally distributed in diverse environments. The project combines field observations with advanced metabolomics techniques. The successful candidate will enhance these efforts through laboratory-based experiments to test the functional roles of phytochemical diversity in plant defence. A key part of this work involves conducting feeding experiments with model herbivores to determine how different facets of chemical diversity influence insect behaviour and performance.

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New Publications

Marinček P., Leong J.V., Pittet L., Léveillé-Bourret È., Nyma T.,  Tomoshevich M., Banaev E., He L. , Hörandl E., Volf M., Wagner N.D., (2025)  Spatio-temporal evolution of shrub willows (Salix subgenus Vetrix clade) on a global scale, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 108480, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108480

Renoult S.A. , Leong J.V., Mezzomo P., Sebek P., Koutecký P., Kukla J., Nguyen P., Moos M., Pokorny V., Wagner N.D., Frouz J., van Dam N.M.,  Volf M., (2025) Effects of hybridization on chemical diversity and plant-insect herbivore interactions in *****Salix alba* × *fragilis***, Journal of Experimental Botany, eraf296, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf296

Mezzomo P., Leong J.V., , Pokorny V., Jorge L..R.,  Volfova T., Kozel P., Vodrazka P.,Seifert C. L.,  Aurová K., Moos M., Engström M.T., Salminen J.P.,  Volf M. (2025) Effects of pronounced seasonal turnover and intraspecific variation in leaf traits on specialization of insect herbivores associated with six Salicaceae hosts**. Oecologia 207 : article number: 34.
DOI: 10.1007/s00442-025-05672-w

Leong J., Matos Maravi P. F., Núñez R., Nunes R., Liang W., Braby M.F., Doleck T., Aduse-Poku K., Inayoshi Y., Hsu Y.-F., Wahlberg N., Peggie D., et al., Kawahara A.Y., Pierce N., Lohman D. (2025) Around the World in 26 Million Years: Diversification and Biogeography of Pantropical Grass-Yellow Eurema Butterflies (Pieridae: Coliadinae). Journal of Biogeography Early View : DOI: 10.1111/jbi.15107

Aubona G., Mezzomo P., Sedio B.E., Staab M.,Volf M. (2024) Neighbourhood effects on herbivory damage and chemical profiles in short-rotation coppice willows and their ybrids,  Phytochemistry, 228, 114249, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114249

Ogutcen E., de Lima Ferreira P., Wagner N.D., Marinček P., Leong J.V., Aubona G., Cavender-Bares J., Michálek J., Schroeder L., Sedio B.E., Vašut R.J.,  Volf M., (2024) Phylogenetic insights into the Salicaceae: The evolution of willows and beyond. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 108161,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108161
Mezzomo P., Leong J.V., Vodrážka P., Moos M., Jorge L.R., Volfová T., Michálek J., de L. Ferreira P., Kozel P., Brian E. Sedio B.E., Volf M., (2024)  Variation in induced responses in volatile and non-volatile metabolites among six willow species: Do willow species share responses to herbivory? Phytochemistry, 114222, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114222

Marinček P., Léveillé-Bourret É. , Heiduk F., Leong J.V , Bailleul S.M., Volf M., . Wagner N.D. (2024) **Challenge accepted: Evolutionary lineages versus taxonomic classification of North American shrub willows (Salix)**. the American Journal of Botany, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16361

Leong J.V., Mezzomo P., Kozel P., Volfová T., de Lima Ferreira P., Seifert C.L., Butterill P.T., Freiberga I., Michálek J., Matos-Maraví P., Weinhold A., Engström M.T., Salminen J-P., Segar S.T., Sedio B.E.,  Volf M. (2024) Effects of individual traits vs. trait syndromes on assemblages of various herbivore guilds associated with central European Salix. Oecologia, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11164786.

Xiao X., Jorge L.R., Volf M., Moos M., Gélin U., Finnie S., Freiberga I., Jancuchova‐Laskova J. , Weiss M., Novotny V., Sam K. (2024) **The effect of drought‐induced leaf traits on Ficus leaf palatability is species specific**. Ecosphere 15 - 5, e483,
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4831a

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