Bachelor and Master Theses

Topics for master's and bachelor's theses

We regularly offer topics for bachelor's and master's theses as part of our research projects. The spectrum is broad. Some topics can be assigned as both a bachelor's and a master's thesis. If you are interested, please contact the supervisor by e-mail. In addition to the theses announced here, it is also possible to jointly develop individual topics for a thesis.

Characterisation of effectors of the pathogen Cercospora beticola in sugar beet

Start:

1 December 2025 at the earliest

Support:

PD Dr. Sebastian Liebe

Contact:

liebe@ifz-goettingen.de

Question:

The fungus Cercospora beticola is the pathogen responsible for Cercospora leaf spot disease, which mainly affects sugar beet. This is one of the most important diseases in sugar beet cultivation. In the course of co-evolution, the fungal pathogen has specialised in sugar beet. So-called effectors are of great importance for the pathogenicity of the pathogen. These are proteins that are released into the host organism. There, the effectors suppress the immune defence or induce cell death, for example. In the course of a genetic population analysis, two effectors were identified that could be important for the pathogenicity of the pathogen. The aim of this Master's thesis is to characterise these two effectors in more detail. First, the sequence variability in different Cercospora populations will be analysed. Gene expression will be measured in vitro and in planta in plant and laboratory experiments. In addition, transient expression of both effectors will be performed in the experimental host Nicothiana benthamiana. Various molecular biology techniques will be learned as part of the work (e.g. cloning, gene expression measurement with qPCR). Extensive laboratory and greenhouse experiments are also part of the work.

Screening for polerovirus recombination under high selection pressure using Agrobacterium mediated expression (M.Sc.)

Start:

as of now

Support:

Dr. Lukas Rollwage

Contact:

rollwage@ifz-goettingen.de

Department:

Phytopathology

Question:

Beet chlorosis virus (BChV) and beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV) are closely related species of the genus Polerovirus and cause the virus yellows diseases in sugar beet. They are frequently reported to occur in mixed infections. Thus, the occurrence of interspecific recombination between BChV and BMYV has been documented in natural habitats (Kozlowska-Makulska et al., 2015), raising questions on biological properties of recombinants including their pathogenicity and impact. However, recombinant isolates are lacking and more, the detection of these recombinants via PCR from naturally co-infected plants has the risk of producing artefacts due to the polymerases template switching ability, which could result in false positivein vitro recombinants. We would like to further develop our new screening system, which allows to screen for polerovirus recombination under high selection pressure using Agrobacterium meditated expression of fragmented viral genomes.

Auswirkung von Streifenbodenbearbeitung auf die Bodenstruktur in Zuckerrübenbeständen (M.Sc.)

Start:

as of now

Support:

Dr. Olga Fishkis

Contact:

fishkis@ifz-goettingen.de

Department:

Agronomy

Question:

Im Rahmen des vom BMBF geförderten Projektes „Zukunftsfähige Anbausysteme Zuckerrübe - Innovationen und Künstliche Intelligenz (ZAZIkI)“ werden im niederschlagsarmen Süden Sachsen-Anhalts wassersparende Zuckerrübenanbauverfahren erprobt und bewertet. Im Mittelpunkt der Feldversuche steht Streifenbodenbearbeitung nach Zwischenfrüchten oder in Getreidestoppel im Vergleich zur konventionellen großflächigen Bodenbearbeitung. Dazu wurden Versuche auf zwei Zuckerrübenfeldern im südlichen Sachsen-Anhalt angelegt. Im Rahmen dieser Masterarbeit wird die Auswirkung verschiedener Anbausysteme auf die Bodenstruktur anhand von Feldmessungen und Bodenanalysen bewertet. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem IfZ-Team werden Sie im Zeitraum von April bis Mai 2025 auf zwei Zuckerrübenfeldern im südlichen Sachsen-Anhalt Feldmessungen zur ungesättigten hydraulischen Leitfähigkeit und zum Eindringwiderstand sowie Bodenprobenahmen durchführen. Anschließend werden im Labor, die Feldkapazität, der Anteil der Grobporen, die Gesamtporosität sowie die Aggregatstabilität und der Anteil der Makroaggregate bestimmt. Die Feld- und Laborarbeiten werden insgesamt ca. 2 Monate in Anspruch nehmen. Die Ergebnisse werden anschließend ausgewertet und dokumentiert.

Auswirkung der Streifenbodenbearbeitung auf die Wasserversorgung von Zuckerrüben (M.Sc.)

Start:

May 2025

Support:

Dr. Olga Fishkis

Contact:

fishkis@ifz-goettingen.de

Department:

Agronomy

Question:

Im Rahmen des vom BMBF geförderten Projektes „Zukunftsfähige Anbausysteme Zuckerrübe - Innovationen und Künstliche Intelligenz (ZAZIkI)“ werden im niederschlagsarmen Süden Sachsen-Anhalts wassersparende Zuckerrübenanbauverfahren erprobt und bewertet. Im Mittelpunkt der Feldversuche steht Streifenbodenbearbeitung nach Zwischenfrüchten oder in Getreidestoppel im Vergleich zur konventionellen großflächigen Bodenbearbeitung. Dazu wurden Versuche auf zwei Zuckerrübenfeldern im südlichen Sachsen-Anhalt angelegt. Datengrundlage für diese Masterarbeit sind zum einen kontinuierlich aufgezeichnete Felddaten über Datenlogger: Bodenfeuchte und -temperatur, bodennahe Luftfeuchte und -temperatur und Wetterdaten. Zum anderen werden zu bestimmten Terminen Daten im Zuckerrübenbestannd manuell erhoben. Dabei führen Sie in Zusammenarbeit mit dem IfZ-Team im Zeitraum von Ende Mai bis August 2025 die Feldmessungen zur Bestandestemperatur mit Infrarotthermometer durch, um anschließend verschiedene Indizes zum Wasserversorgungszustand der Pflanzen zu berechnen. Auf der Grundlage der gesammelten Mikroklimadaten wird die tägliche Verdunstung mit der Bowen-Ratio-Methode in verschiedenen Anbausystemen berechnet. Die Feldarbeit wird insgesamt ca. 2 Wochen dauern. Die Ergebnisse werden anschließend ausgewertet und dokumentiert.

Aphid predators and natural enemies in sugar beet – companion plant systems (B.Sc./M.Sc.)

Start:

as of now

Support:

Dr. Benedict Wieters

Contact:

wieters@ifz-goettingen.de

Department:

System Analysis

Question:

Aphids can lead to yield losses in sugar beet production, especially through virus transmission. Insecticides can secure yields, but the number of available substances is limited. Therefore, we are investigating alternative methods of pest control. In the BetaCompP project we test companion plants as a cropping system alternative. One mode of action here is the attraction of aphid predators via more diverse agroecosystems. Tasks: Catching of insects in the field, sample preparation and species/taxonomic determination in the lab. Analysis of the results. Contents can be adjusted to interests. Requirements: You should be interested in field work and arthropods. Prior knowledge is helpful but not required. The thesis can be written in German or English. Period: The main field season is April to July, further analysis in the lab can also be done in autumn/winter.

Investigations on Rz1 resistance breaking in sugar beet by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (M.Sc.)

Start:

as of now

Support:

PD Dr. Sebastian Liebe

Contact:

liebe@ifz-goettingen.de

Department:

Coordination

Question:

Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is a member of the genus Benyvirus in the family Benyviridae. BNYVV causes Rhizomania disease in sugar beet, which is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of lateral roots leading to a significant decrease in sugar content and massive yield losses. Therefore, all sugar beet cultivars carry the Rz1 resistance gene preventing infection with BNYVV. However, there are several reports describing the occurrence of Rz1 resistance breaking strains. The high selection pressure has led to several mutations in the pathogenicity factor P25 at amino acid positions 67-70 (AS67-70). Furthermore, an additional RNA component from the P-type (RNA5) has been associated with Rz1 resistance breaking. Experimental studies confirming the resistance breaking effect of the mutations and reassortments are missing. Therefore, a reverse genetic system for sugar beet using a cDNA clone of BNYVV A-type and P-type has been developed at the Institute of Sugar Beet Research. This infection system will be used to study Rz1 resistance breaking by BNYVV in sugar beet. The influence of mutations in the pathogenicity factor P25 will be investigated by PCR mutagenesis. Furthermore, reassortment experiments should be conducted to confirm an effect of RNA5 on resistance breaking. The student will learn modern molecular techniques including PCR mutagenesis, cloning and agroinfection of sugar beet.

Contact

harting_24.jpg

Dr. Rebekka Harting

harting@ifz-goettingen.de

Informationen zu Lehrangeboten der Universität Göttingen:

EXA Uni Göttingen Stud-IP Uni Göttingen Fakultät für Agrarwissenschaften Uni Göttingen Graduiertenschule Forst- und Agrarwissenschaften (GFA)