Are you highly interested in plant-microbe interactions, and intrigued by the underlying mechanisms that makes them a plant pathogen? We are now seeking a PhD candidate for an ambitious research project on an important plant pathogen, Xanthomonas campestris. At the University of Amsterdam, we study how this bacterium invades the plant vasculature via hydathodes. You will study EMS mutants in Arabidopsis that confer natural resistance to this bacterium. In this interdisciplinary project, we aim to unveil the underpinning process that results in comprised disease susceptibility. This forward genetics project will be executed in close collaboration with a PostDoc and the industry. You will be embedded in a team that aims to provide genetic solutions for plant diseases by studying virulence mechanisms at a the molecular level using state-of-the-art technologies.

What are you going to do?

You are expected:

• to generate plant material to study the consequence of mutations by applying advanced molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology;
• to study the bacterial invasion process in molecular detail in the model plant Arabidopsis;
• to contribute to a forward genetics screen in collaboration with a PostDoc using digital phenotyping;
• to report and present your progress on a regular basis to our participating companies;
• to actively participate in scientific discussions in our research field and our university;
• to participate in teaching activities in the BSc and MSc courses of our university;
• to have an open attitude to learn and become skilled in new (molecular) techniques;
• to be a (pro-)active team player that fosters and values the organization of our laboratory.

Our selection will be based on scientific merits (including grades for your MSc projects), your vision on this research project, but most importantly your ambition and drive to foster your own (scientific) career.

What do we require of you?

• A recent MSc degree in (plant) biology, molecular life sciences, plant breeding, microbiology, or biotechnology;
• Hands-on experience in molecular biology and biochemistry in the field of plant-microbe interactions, preferably with bacteria and/or Arabidopsis;
• Affinity with Big data analysis and bioinformatics scripting in e.g. Phyton, R studio or related programs (e.g. a minor teaching program in programming or bioinformatics);
• An enthusiasm and willingness to become multidisciplinary with a keen eye on functional gene studies, protein work, and plant disease assays;
• An ambitious person that is a team player with an open character;
• An appreciation to contribute to valorization efforts and to foster collaborations with other academic institutes and industry;
• An understanding and acceptance of the sensitivity of confidentiality in public-private collaborations;
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, demonstrated by a high grade for your MSc thesis project.

Fixed-term contract: 18 months.

Our offer

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of four years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended to a total duration of 4 years). This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students. 

Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from €2.395 in the first year to €3.061 in the last year exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8.3 % end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look here.

University of Amsterdam

With over 6,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science - Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences

About us

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 7,000, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is one of the Faculty of Science’s largest institutes. Its approximately 240 scientists and staff members work in 17 research groups and several expertise centers that perform excellent research centered on four themes: 1) Neurosciences, 2) Cell and Systems Biology, 3) Microbiology and 4) Green Life Sciences.

The mission and passion of Molecular Plant Pathology is to unravel the molecular processes underlying plant immunity as well as plant susceptibility to infectious diseases. Our ambition is to publish on a regular basis in high impact Scientific journals, while fostering the careers of our co-workers. We are dedicated to raising new generations of scientists, and to provide a meaningful contribution towards sustainable agriculture having less impact on our environment. We study these aspects by using state-of-the-art molecular techniques in high-tech labs and in modern greenhouses. This research enables us to develop and explore novel concepts on plant-microbe interactions and permits implementation and creative use of novel technologies in the fields of -omics, microscopy, (digital) phenotyping and genetic alteration of plants and pathogens.