Within the research group "Breeding for resistance" of Plant Breeding, we are looking for a highly motivated PhD graduate who is passionate about breeding crops with resistance to diseases. In agricultural production, one of the most serious problems is the crop loss (up to 40% of the crop yield) due to plant pests and diseases. One of the most common practices to control pests and diseases is the use of chemicals. However, concerns on health risks due to exposure to residues in food and environment restrict the use of chemical control and urge the use of resistant plant varieties. Thus, breeding of new robust varieties with resistance to diseases remains a constant point of attention in circular agriculture where healthy plant materials (e.g. seeds) are the starting point for a safe and sustainable cultivation and harvest.

Tomato is the world's largest vegetable crop with an estimated production of 160 million tons of tomato fruits. Tomato cultivation is particularly affected by globally emerging risks related to viruses. In this project, you will contribute to the development of durable and broad spectrum resistance in tomato against newly emerging DNA and RNA viruses. You will take both forward and reverse genetic approaches to identify tomato wild accessions and EMS mutants that have resistance to three different viruses. Upon cloning of the causal genes, you will unravel the function and mechanism associated with the identified resistance genes or impaired susceptibility (S) genes. This project will be carried out in close collaboration with breeding companies and the knowledge and materials obtained can be directly applied in breeding programs for the development of novel and resilient tomato cultivars.
In our group, we focus on the development of breeding strategies for durable resistance in vegetable crops. We use state-of-the-art tools, including genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, and gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR, to elucidate genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying plant resistance to various diseases.

Are you motivated to work on the genetics and mechanisms of plant resistance to viruses? Then respond!

• PhD in Plant Breeding, Biology, Biotechnology, Virology or other related field;
• excellent written and verbal communication skills (English). 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;
• experience with supervision of students and technical assistants;
• ability to work independently but also to be a team player and communicative;

A challenging position for one year, which can be extended for another three years and with, depending on you experience, a competitive salary 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, 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;
• use the sports facilities on campus

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. Our campus is an inspiring, green place to work, and has been selected as the most sustainable campus in the world multiple times. Besides that, we have an impressive ranking in several fields, with a #1 ranking for environmental science, ecology and agriculture, as well as very strong rankings in other fields. Finally, as for education, Wageningen University has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 15th consecutive time.

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, 6,000 employees, and 12,000 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.

Equal opportunities employer
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.