Are you that enthusiastic plant scientist who wants to contribute to a Circular and Biobased Economy than we are looking for you!

The successful applicant will work as a PhD student in the European Union H2020 consortium BBI-GRACE "GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries" (https://www.bbi-europe.eu/projects/grace under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Luisa Trindade. You will be directly working in a team together with a postdoc, a PhD student and a technician on the evaluation of new miscanthus hybrids in 9 different locations in Europe. The activities planned in this project comprise coordination of miscanthus field trials to evaluate new hybrids, biochemical analysis of miscanthus hybrids biomass composition, characterization of effects of different environmental factors on biomass quality, and identification of genetic components underlying biomass yield and quality in miscanthus. You will be part of the Biobased Economy group, with about 20 employees, including technicians, PhD students, post-docs, junior and senior scientists working on different plant components, in particular cell walls and their role in biomass recalcitrance. Further you will be collaborating with 21 academic and industrial partners spread over Europe.

Brief description of the GRACE consortium
The GRACE project aims to explore the potential of the non-food industrial crops miscanthus and hemp as a source of biomass for the bio-economy. Both these crops are relatively under-exploited, but offer an interesting business opportunity for farmers and industry. When cultivated on marginal, contaminated or unused/abandoned land, the impacts on food security can be minimized, and the potential introduction of pollutants into the food chain can be prevented. In GRACE we will demonstrate and optimise the techno economic viability and environmental sustainability of fifteen promising miscanthus hybrids and hemp biomass-based value chains using marginal, contaminated and unused land at an industry relevant scale. The major contribution of the team at Wageningen University, which you will be part of, is to identify and characterize high yielding miscanthus varieties with good biomass quality and suitable for marginal lands.

• MSc degree in Plant Sciences.
• Knowledge/experience and interest in genetics and/or (plant) breeding.
• Meet the requirements of Wageningen University for admittance as PhD (English skills and recognized degree).
• Affinity with Biobased Economy and industrial crops.
• A creative and innovative candidate.
• An enthusiastic team player.
• A networker that likes to work in an international environment.

This position requires an excellent English language proficiency (a mininum of CEFR C1 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

We offer you a challenging job for a period of 4 years (1 year after a positive evaluation extension for another 3 years) at an international leading organization. The position is available within Wageningen University & Research at Plant Breeding - Biobased Economy group. The organization has good and flexible employment conditions, including good education and training facilities for PhD students.

Employment basis:
Appointment for 38 hours per week for a period of 1 years with extension of 3 years after successful evaluation. The gross salary is in according to the Collective Labour Agreement of Wageningen University and first year salary is € 2.325,- per month rising to € 2.972,- in the fourth year. The position can start from 1 March 2019.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With approximately 30 locations, 5,000 employees, and 10,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen.

For further information about working at Wageningen University & Research, take a look at thespecial career site.

Wageningen University & Research, Plant Breeding - Biobased Economy group
At the laboratory of Plant Breeding we unravel the genetics behind different traits, such as yield, quality and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. At the Biobased group we see the plant as a bio-factory of different components and we investigate the mechanisms behind the synthesis and regulation of the different plant components, such as carbohydrates, lipids proteins and secondary metabolites, and how carbon is partitioned between these plant components.