The Evolutionary Phytopathology group currently has a vacancy for a Researcher fungal morphology and molecular biology.

Description of the function:
This position is part of the ARISE (https://www.arise-biodiversity.nl/) project between the Westerdijk Institute (WI), Naturalis, and the Universities of Amsterdam and Twente. This project aims to develop an infrastructure for biodiversity monitoring in the Netherlands. The candidate will be appointed at WI, but will have regular interactions with the other partners in the project. The person filling this position will sequence all soil fungi in the Westerdijk culture collection (CBS), using suitable secondary barcodes where needed for identification. Novel species will be worked up for morphological description and will be published in ISI-rated journals.

We are looking for candidates with the following essential skills:

• PhD degree in fungal biology or similar discipline
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English
• Experience molecular biology (DNA isolation, PCR, Sanger sequencing)
• Knowledge of microscopy and description of fungi
• Team player attitude

Additional desirable skills include

• Experience with publishing novel fungal species
• Experience with molecular phylogenetic reconstruction

The position is available from July 1st 2021. 

Duration:
Initially one year with a potential extension of 2 years

Salary:
According to “CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten” (CAO-NU) depending on experience, excluding 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% year-end bonus. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits.

Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

The Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (Westerdijk Institute) is an Academy research institute that maintains a world-renowned microbial biological resource centre of living fungi, yeasts and bacteria. It is a centre of expertise on mycology and conducts research on the evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity of fungi and yeasts. The institute generates and shares scientific knowledge and answers questions relevant to society together with other research institutes, partners in civil society and industry.