Are you interested in comparing genes and genomes of lettuce with other flowering plants? Would you enjoy being part of a large and diverse team of researchers at several Dutch Universities? Will you develop a comparative genomic framework for exploring and understanding genome and trait evolution of lettuce and its relatives in the Asteraceae family? Than we have an interesting position for you at Wageningen University and Research.

We are looking an enthusiastic and motivated plant biologist/bioinformatician with a PhD who would like to do collaborative and creative research in an interdisciplinary team. Within the project, you will take the lead in creating a comparative phylogenomic framework, integrating homology, phylogeny and synteny analysis, of lettuce, other Asteraceae species and more distantly related flowering plants. The framework will be used by you to understand gene, gene family and genome evolution and will facilitate the rest of the team in studying particular traits and genes of interest. As part of the PhD training, you will be also involved in supervising MSc and BSc students as well as teaching in relevant courses. We invite applications from ambitious candidates with relevant research experience and a passion for studying plant trait evolution using phylogenomic approaches.�

About the research program
The project is embedded in the subtheme BigData of the LettuceKnow program (see below for more information and the website for additional vacancies). You will join a team of 18 PhD students, post-docs and technicians working in Utrecht, Wageningen and Leiden. LettuceKnow (a NWO-TTW perspective program) started in 2019 to investigate key resilience and architecture traits of lettuce. Lettuce is an important component of a healthy diet with an extensive global use.

The project aims to identify molecular mechanisms and genes for resilience and architecture. The basis for this is the combination of large-scale transcriptomics of a diversity panels of 500 wild and cultivated Lactuca accessions, cutting-edge phenotyping, powerful integrative bioinformatics & machine learning, and state-of-the-art plant biology. The LettuceKnow team brings together leading scientists in the areas of plant biology, genomics and data sciences to enable the optimal use of big data and discover the genes/alleles underlying important traits. It comprises a diverse research community with a strong focus on resolving major challenges for Dutch lettuce breeders to develop resilient and sustainable varieties that are adapted to changing climate conditions.

The Biosystematics Group and The Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences
The PhD or post-doctoral position will be under the daily supervision of Prof. Eric Schranz in the Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University & Research.
You will be part of the Biosystematics group, with ~30 employees, including technicians, PhD students, post-docs, junior and senior scientists working on fundamental questions about biological diversity.

The group research themes are:

• origin and maintenance of plant and insect biodiversity;
• speciation, domestication and plant-animal interactions;
• applying phylogenetic patterns to test hypotheses on underlying evolutionary processes.

• You have successfully completed your PhD degree in bioinformatics or plant biology, with proven experience in comparative genomics.
• You have practical experience in bioinformatics, phylogenetics and comparative genomic analysis.
• You are a team player with the wish to contribute to the group overall aim.
• You have excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• You are willing to contribute to mentoring and teaching MSc and BSc students that work with you on the project.
• You work in an accurate and efficient way, and you are highly motivated to do science.
• You have a very good level of oral and written English. You are required to show us a certification of English skills.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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 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 we offer depending on your experience, a competitive salary from a minimum of € 3.353 to a maximum of € 4.402 for Post-Doc, for a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities. The job is for a period of 3 years (1 year after a positive evaluation extension for another 2 years) at an international leading organization.

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 16th 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.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University and 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, 6.500 employees and 12.500 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

The Biosystematics Group is part of the Plant Science Group and works closely together with other groups (such as Genetics and Bioinformatics) within Wageningen University. The position will be part of the Dutch inter-university Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences (EPS). The mission of EPS is to organize the training of PhD students and postdocs to become self-reliant researchers.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 6 reasons to come work at WUR
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.