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Location: Wageningen
Hours per week: 32 - 38
Duration of agreement: Initially for 1 year, and upon satisfactory performance to be prolonged to 4 years total
Apply until: 01/10/2025

PhD position “Identify beneficial seeds microbes that improve seed germination and protect plants against stress “ 

This PhD project is part of the recently funded open technology project MiSeed, “The hidden potential of the seed microbiome: How does the seed microbiome shape seed performance and plant drought resilience?”. For this project we have two PhD positions open, one at the Laboratory of Plant Physiology at Wageningen University and Research and the other at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). The project will be carried out using two model plants: tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and lettuce (Latuca sativa). 

What you will be doing
Particularly you will be identifying microbial strains and/or consortia that provides improved seed germination/vigor and promote plant stress tolerance. Furthermore, you will investigate the molecular mechanisms of interaction between the identified beneficial microbes and plant.
Job description: 
•    Perform a set of bioassays to reveal seed microbes that (1) improve seed germination and (2) promote plants stress tolerance
•    Perform functional characterization and in-depth molecular-genetics and metabolomic analysis on the selected beneficial microbes
•    Present your work at (inter)national meetings 
•    Take PhD courses
•    Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis
•    Supervise MSc and BSc students

What you will be contributing

We are looking for a candidate with
•    A MSc degree in microbe-plant interactions, molecular microbiology, biotechnology or related programs
•    Experimental experience with microorganisms and molecular methods
•    A high degree of motivation to learn new topics and scientific approaches
•    Experience in basic bioinformatics is preferred
•    Fluency in English

More information
Appointment: The position is 1.0 FTE (38 hours/week), initially for 1 year, and upon satisfactory performance to be prolonged to 4 years total. The preferred starting date is March 2025. 

Specific information about the PhD position can be obtained from Dr Paolina Garbeva  p.garbeva@nioo.knaw.nl 

Application procedure

Applicants need to submit motivation letter, CV and contact details of two references. This vacancy will be listed up to and including 10th January 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on the 24th of January, 2025.

About NIOO
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a national research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). NIOO performs leading ecological research on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable use of land and water, stimulates ecological research of the Netherlands and shares its ecological knowledge with society. Based on our core values, NIOO strives to be a collaborative, inclusive, innovative, impactful, and responsible organization.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 2.872 and the maximum salary is 3.670 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale P cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).  

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.