Antibiotic resistance is a major threat in human societies and will stay with us as long as we use antibiotics. The search for new antibiotic lead compounds is a cumbersome process. Natural compounds, e.g. metabolites produced by fungi, are a rich source of antibacterial activities. However, they are typically found in complex chemical mixtures, which makes it difficult to identify the most relevant activities. We have developed a novel method, called bacterial cytological profiling, that greatly facilitates this process.

We are seeking a PhD candidate to (i) develop bacterial cytological profiling for the screening of a unique fungal extract library provided by the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute located in Utrecht, and (ii) to investigate the antibacterial mode of action of novel fungal compounds.

This collaboration between the University of Amsterdam and the Westerdijk Institute is expected to identify novel antibacterial compounds of fungal origin with potentially new modes of action. Considering the lack of antibiotic discovery and development, this project will provide a significant contribution to the search for the next generation of antibiotics that are active against resistant pathogens. The project is funded by ZonMw.

What are you going to do?

You are expected:

• to develop bacterial cytological profiling for high-throughput screening of complex natural extracts for antibiotic lead compounds;
• to isolate novel compounds from fungal extracts;
• to determine the antibacterial working mechanism (mode of action) of novel fungal compound using a wide variety of techniques including RNA-seq, cell biology studies, resistance development, precursor incorporation studies;
• to supervise bachelor and master students;
• to communicate scientific results in conferences and international peer-review journals.

You have:

• a MSc in Biology or Biochemistry;
• good experience with molecular microbiology tools;
• good experience with growing microorganisms;
• affinity with microbiology;
• the ability to write en speak fluently in English.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week, starting not later than 1 August 2020 (due to funding agency constraints) for the duration of 48 months (initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory performance evaluation it can be extended) and should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). An educational plan will be drafted that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. The PhD student is also expected to assist in teaching of undergraduates.

Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from €2,325 in the first year to €2,972 in the last year exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8,3 % end-of-year bonus. 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? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 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

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, 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.urope and the world.

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 16 research groups that perform excellent research centred on three themes:

1. Cell & Sytems Biology;
2. Neurosciences,
3. Microbiology, and
4. Green Life Sciences.

Within the Theme Microbiology the Bacterial Cell Biology & Physiology (BCBP) groups investigate key processes including cell division, cell envelope synthesis, multi-level regulation, antibiotic mode-of-action, and they work on more applied questions including the production of enzymes and beneficial compounds, novel assays for antibiotic screening and green biotechnology.