PhD position on cell models for infant intestine, microbiome and microplastics

Plastic pollution in the environment is a global issue that warrants in-depth investigation of potential health hazards towards infants. Are you passionate to work with stem cell-based intestinal models? Do you want to study the interactions between microplastics, the intestinal microbiome and the intestinal epithelium?
Are you motivated to work in an interdisciplinary team of scientists in Wageningen and Amsterdam? We have a PhD position that combines studies using advanced in vitro models, the human intestinal microbiome and microplastics at the chair group of Toxicology of Wageningen University.
We are looking for an enthusiastic biologist, biomedical scientist or toxicologist with an affinity for tissue culture, molecular biology, physiology, and microbiology. Are you the PhD student we are looking for?

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• study the interactions of the intestinal microbiome and microplastics in an in vitro model of the infant intestine;
• implement your excellent stem cell culturing skills and exploit molecular assays (e.g., routine cell biology and biochemical measurements, ELISA and confocal microscopy) to unravel the underlying mechanisms of microplastics toxicity;
• we expect that you have to work with large datasets, from i.e. semi-quantitative LC-MS/MS proteomics, therefore proven affinity with R is an asset.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Toxicology (link internet page Chairgroup), and member of the advanced in vitro models for toxicology team, which is led by Prof. Dr ir Hans Bouwmeester (link LinkedIn page chairholder or page at WUR site). You will be co-supervised by Mathias Busch and Hans Bouwmeester. Within the project, you will collaborate with the group Host Microbe Interactomics (HMI) at Wageningen University and Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research at Amsterdam UMC.

You have a passion for complex human stem cell cultures and have high standards for working accurately. You have the flexibility to work in a team within a well-equipped laboratory.

You also possess:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in life sciences or related field;
• the ability to work independently in the lab;
• a strong desire and ability to quickly master new (laboratory) techniques to effectively tackle complex, multidisciplinary scientific queries;
• experience in simple and advanced in vitro models and analyzing large and complex datasets (for instance by using R);
• experience with the confocal microscope and basic and advanced molecular biology techniques (e.g. cytotoxicity assays, ELISA, qPCR, omics).

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

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

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• 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 year-end 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 € 3.059,- per month rising to € 3.881,- 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.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

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.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands 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. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

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 and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.