Are you an enthusiastic and highly motivated PhD candidate that wants to contribute to making agriculture production more sustainable? And are you interested in the interaction between plants and insects, and would you like to combine lab and greenhouse work? Then we are looking for you!

Within the insect resistance team of Wageningen UR Plant Breeding we are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate who is passionate about making our agricultural production more sustainable. Viruses cause considerable economic losses in Cucurbits, including pumpkin and squash (courgette). In these crops, the major viral diseases are transmitted by the cotton-melon-aphid Aphis gossypii and the silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci. At the moment, spread of viruses is controlled by targeting the insects with pesticides. An alternative is using host plant resistance against the insects that transmit viruses. This would not only result in reduced transmission of several viruses, including newly emerging ones, it also lowers feeding-related damage of insects. Breeding of insect resistant varieties is therefore a durable strategy for both insect and virus control in Cucurbita.

In this project, you will try to find plant resistance to aphids and whiteflies in the Cucurbita germplasm, including the widely cultivated C. pepo, C. moschata and C. maxima, and (crossable) wild relatives. The most promising resistant sources will be genetically characterized using bi-parental mapping populations. The mechanism of resistance will be characterized using a range of approaches including a detailed characterization of insect biology and behaviour on, and transcriptomics and metabolomics of, resistant and susceptible plants.

As PhD candidate you will be using a variety of state of the art tools. Your activities will include the (molecular) genetic characterization of the resistance, genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and detailed analysis of life history components of aphids. This project is carried out in close collaboration with several breeding companies.

The research is embedded within the chair Plant Breeding, and member of the Non-host and Insects Resistance group, which is led by Olga Visser (https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/plant-research/Plant-Breeding/Research-Groups/Non-host-and-insect-resistance.htm). You will be co-supervised by Lotte Caarls and Roeland Voorrips.

• An MSc degree in plant sciences, plant breeding, or a related field.
• a strong background in molecular plant-insect interactions.
• You have experience with and enjoy working with insects and plants
• You are skilled in insect behavior assays and molecular or cellular biology techniques
• You are an enthusiastic, problem solving person.
• Excellent writing and oral communication in English. For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• study leave and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.541,- per month rising to € 3.247,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Wageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 7.200 employees and 13.200 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named the best university of the Netherlands by students for the 17th time in a row.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.