PhD position: Ecology and Genomics of Phyllosphere Yeasts - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen

Apply now
8 days remaining

PhD position: Ecology and Genomics of Phyllosphere Yeasts - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen

You will be joining the MiCRop consortium (Microbial Imprinting for Crop Resilience) aimed at harnessing the genomic potential of plant-associated microbes as a new platform for improved stress resilience of future crops and sustainable food production.

Deadline Published on Vacancy ID 2641
Apply now
8 days remaining

Academic fields

Natural sciences

Job types

PhD

Education level

University graduate

Weekly hours

38 hours per week

Salary indication

€2901—€3707 per month

Location

Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708PB, Wageningen

View on Google Maps

Job description

The phyllosphere - the aerial parts of plants - harbors a rich and diverse microbial community, including bacteria, filamentous fungi, yeasts and viruses. This environment is both harsh and dynamic, exposing microbes to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses (e.g. low nutrient availability, ultraviolet radiation, temperature and humidity oscillations, toxic compound exposure). Yeasts have diverse ways to cope with these conditions and compete with plant pathogens, providing protection. To date, the adaptive traits and competitive mechanisms by which yeasts colonize the phyllosphere remain largely unknown.

What will you be doing?
You will be joining the MiCRop consortium (Microbial Imprinting for Crop Resilience) aimed at harnessing the genomic potential of plant-associated microbes as a new platform for improved stress resilience of future crops and sustainable food production.

In this project, we will leverage our recently established ‘Phyllosphere Yeast Repository’ - an extensive collection of yeast isolates, genomes and metabolomes – to assess: (i) competition and cooperation in the phyllosphere, and (ii) the potential of yeasts to control phyllosphere pathogens. You will conduct laboratory and greenhouse experiments to investigate yeast-plant and yeast-pathogen interactions in the phyllosphere. To achieve this, you will adopt a combination of classical microbiology techniques (cultivation, microscopy), chemical analyses (gas chromatography), molecular biology (qPCR, metabarcoding, transcriptomics, yeast mutagenesis), plant bioassays, and a range of bioinformatics analyses (genome mining, comparative genomics, multi-omics integration).

What will you be contributing?
  • Perform lab and greenhouse experiments focused on yeast-plant and yeast-pathogen interactions
  • Integrate experimental findings using bioinformatics to analyze multi-omics data, linking microbial functions to ecological performance
  • Closely collaborate with MiCRop team and the WUR Bioinformatics Group
  • Present your research at national and international conferences, and publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals
  • Supervise HBO and MSc students
  • Contribute to maintaining a friendly, inclusive and collaborative working atmosphere within the research group

Requirements

What skills do you bring in?
  • A Master’s degree in (molecular) microbiology, microbe-plant interactions, microbial ecology or a related field
  • Experience in molecular microbial ecology and bioinformatics, with a strong interest in combining lab-based experimentation with computational analysis
  • Desirable technical skills: microbiological cultivation techniques, mutagenesis (CRISPR-Cas), microscopy, next-generation sequencing, and multi-omics analyses (genomics, metabolomics, genome-scale metabolic modeling)
  • A proactive, enthusiastic and solution-oriented mindset
  • Strong organizational and communication skills in English, both written and spoken

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: 12 months, with an extension to 4 years upon a successful assessment of the first year.

What do we offer?

A fully funded 4-year PhD position (1.0 FTE) within the vibrant department of Microbial Ecology, with a preferred starting date of September 15th, 2025. You will be based at NIOO-KNAW and part of a multidisciplinary team within the MiCRop consortium. In addition, you will collaborate with colleagues from WUR Bioinformatics Group and have access to both cutting-edge lab facilities and advanced computational resources. The position also offers valuable opportunities for professional growth, including teaching experience, science communication, and building a national and international research network.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 2.901 and the maximum salary is 3.707 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale P cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP. The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment). For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Employer

Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW)

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a national research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). At NIOO we perform ecological research on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable use of land and water. We stimulate ecological research in the Netherlands and share our ecological knowledge with society. Everyone in our organisation is passionate about contributing to a sustainable world from their own area of expertise.

Department

Microbial Ecology

You will be appointed at the Department of Microbial Ecology of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) located in Wageningen. For detailed information on the Microbial Ecology Department, please visit our website: https://nioo.knaw.nl/en/departments/microbial-ecology.

Additional information

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.

Working at KNAW

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is the guardian and interpreter of science in the Netherlands.

More about the KNAW

Apply now
8 days remaining