Do you wonder why seeds can survive for so long? Are you interested to investigate the role that stored mRNAs play in this? To strengthen the Vici project team, we are looking for a post-doctoral researcher. You will be working in a team with two PhD students, another post-doc and a technician that aim at identifying the mechanisms by which seed stored mRNAs are protected, as such that they remain intact and can be translated during early seed germination. Within the project you will be responsible for a research project that uses confocal microscopy and in-situ hybridization techniques to determine where in the cell mRNAs are stored. Besides carrying out the research project, you will contribute to teaching PhD, MSc and BSc students.

Wageningen University & Research is an international organisation. We expect our staff to have excellent command of the English language. This is an important factor in our selection process. Some job interviews will be in English. You will be informed beforehand should this be the case. 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.

You have obtained a PhD in Plant Science or Molecular Biology. You have a publication record in international peer-reviewed journals that shows you are capable of making original and significant contributions to your field. You work in a structured and focused way, and you a have solid experience in (plant) molecular biology. Experience with confocal microscopy is a must. You are a team player, with great communication skills and the wish to contribute to the group overall aim. You are creative and enthusiastic about your research, and you are willing to contribute to mentoring and teaching PhD, MSc and BSc students that work with you on the project.

A challenging postdoc position for three years with, depending on your experience, a competitive salary from a minimum of € € 3.123,- to a maximum of € 4.274,- for a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities (scale 10).
In addition, an appointment of 0,8 FTE is negotiable. In addition, we offer:

• 8% holiday allowance;
• a structural year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;
• flexible working hours and holidays can possibly be determined in consultation so that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;
• excellent pension plan through ABP;
• 232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes;
• a flexible working time: the possibility to work a maximum of 2 hours per week extra and thereby to build up extra leave;
• a choice model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;
• a lively workplace where you can easily make contacts and where many activities take place on the Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research and business are represented. Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for own initiative in a learning environment. We offer a versatile job in an international environment with varied activities in a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

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.
The mission of our University 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, it 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. At the Laboratory of Plant Physiology we study plant responses to their environment. We investigate how stress tolerance and plant performance including seed germination in adverse environmental conditions are guided by underlying molecular, cellular and physiological processes. Within the research group led by dr. Leónie Bentsink, we study how stored mRNAs are protected. (see website WUR-PPH: www.pph.wur.nl) Seeds are able to germinate after many years of storage. For this germination the translation of seed stored mRNAs into proteins is essential. Yet we currently do not understand how seed stored mRNAs can survive these long storage times as, generally, mRNAs have very short survival times. In the recently granted Vici Project "Seeds4Ever"we aim at studying mRNA protection from the physiological to the cellular and molecular level.