PhD student Plant stress resilience:
Are you interested in the molecular mechanisms that steer plant growth and survival in stressful environments? Would you like to work together on providing the knowledge base for understanding resilience of plants to abiotic stress? Then we are looking for you to join our team!
Abiotic stress impacts plant growth and development worldwide in natural and agricultural settings. At the Laboratory of Plant Physiology we investigate how plants respond to their environment. We are looking for two members to strengthen the developmental plasticity team, a PhD student (this vacancy) and a post-doc (see vacancy below). Within the Vici project “Plant Stress Resilience; Think global, act local” we investigate novel pathways that are activated by salinity and drought to steer root architecture and timing of flowering. Now, we are ready to capitalize on our earlier findings and will steer developmental plasticity in the model plant Arabidopsis to understand how flexibility contributes to growth and survival.
Together with two post-docs, one other PhD student and a technician, you will investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying root and shoot response to salinity and water deficit. These include local stress sensing in roots, leading to production and redistribution of plant hormones and other metabolites. We will use genome editing in an approach to modulate seedling establishment, root development and timing of flowering under stressful conditions, without impacting growth under optimal conditions. Your role in the project will be to investigate the role of local pathways that affect plant hormone production under stress and their contribution to plasticity and resilience. Next to the scientific project you contribute to teaching by supervising BSc and MSc students working on the projects and by assisting practical courses.
We ask
- a successfully completed MSc degree in Plant Science, Molecular life sciences or a similar MSc degree.
- experience in plant physiology and molecular biology, and hands-on experience in biochemical and bioinformatics approaches are an advantage
- above all you are a team player who enjoys collaborating within and outside your research team.
- For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level .Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language.
We offer
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- study leave and partially paid parental leave;
- working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
- the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
- there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
- a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.541,- per month rising to € 3.247,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well,
There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “ Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research’s International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.
More information
For more information about this position, please contact Prof. dr. Christa Testerink, Project leader, christa.testerink@wur.nl.
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including Dec 12, 2022. We will schedule the first job interviews in the first weeks of January.
Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR.
We are
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.
Postdoc Plant stress resilience:
Are you interested in the molecular mechanisms that steer plant growth and survival in stressful environments? Would you like to work together on understanding and improving resilience of plants to abiotic stress? Then we are looking for you to join our team!
Abiotic stress impacts plant growth and development worldwide in natural and agricultural settings. At the Laboratory of Plant Physiology we investigate how plants respond to their environment.
We are looking for two members to strengthen the developmental plasticity team, a PhD student (see other vacancy) and a post-doctoral researcher (this vacancy). Within the Vici project “Plant Stress Resilience; Think global, act local” we investigate novel molecular pathways that are activated by salinity and drought to steer root architecture and timing of flowering. Now, we are ready to capitalize on our earlier findings and will follow a strategy to steer developmental plasticity to optimize growth and survival. Together with another post-doc, two PhD students and a technician, you will investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying root and shoot response to salinity and water deficit.
These include local stress sensing in roots, leading to production and redistribution of plant hormones and other metabolites. Within the project you will be responsible for generating and characterizing Arabidopsis lines with altered plasticity characteristics. We will use genome editing in Arabidopsis (and possibly in crops in a second stage) in an approach to modulate seedling establishment, root development and timing of flowering under stressful conditions, without impacting growth under optimal conditions. The position also includes roles in project management, mentoring of PhD students and teaching besides the scientific research you carry out.
We ask
- you have a PhD in Plant Science
- you have a track record showing experience in scientific research and your ability to make original and significant contributions to your field
- you have experience in molecular plant physiological approaches; experience with genome editing techniques and/or abiotic stress research are advantages for this position
- you are a team player who enjoys collaborating within and outside your research team
- you have experience in supervising and mentoring BSc/MSc students and/or teaching
We offer
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
- working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
- the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
- there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
- a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.413,- and € 3.557,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). This is a 3-year post-doc position.
Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research’s International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.
More information
For more information about this position, please contact Prof. dr. Christa Testerink, Project leader, christa.testerink@wur.nl.
Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including Dec 12, 2022. We will schedule the first job interviews in the first weeks of January.
Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR.
We are
Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.