This postdoctoral project is part of the national Gravitation program MICROP which aims to harness the genomic potential of root microbes as a new platform for improved stress resilience of future crops and sustainable food production. Working with groups at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Free University (VU), Utrecht University (UU), Wageningen University (WU) and The Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO), you will investigate the role of volatile compounds in belowground plant microbe interactions.
Particularly you will investigate the mechanisms of microbial perception of specific plant root volatiles and the microbial functions activated by these volatiles. The specific questions of this project are i) which bacterial genes are responsible for perception of plant volatiles, ii) which bacterial biosynthetic pathways are activated by the volatiles emitted by stressed plants, and iii) how do plants respond to the recruited bacteria and activated traits?

Job description:

• Design and carry out experiments to unravel the role of volatile compounds in plant microbe interactions;
• Participate in the network activities and joint experiments of the Gravitation program;
• Present your work at (inter)national meetings and publish scientific articles;
• Supervise/collaborate with PhD students and postdocs in the Gravitation program.

We are looking for applicants with a PhD degree in microbe-plant interactions and microbial ecology. Integrating and analyzing microbiome, transcriptomic and metabolomic data forms a key component of the work. Experience with GC-MS data analysis is required.

Fixed-term contract: 3 years.

What are we offering?
We offer an interesting post-doctoral position for 4-5 days per week (0.8 – 1.0 fte) ) for a period of 3 years. The preferred starting date is February 2025. Please see general information about the salary and benefits in the section below on Terms of employment.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 3.345 and the maximum salary is 5.278 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 10 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW)

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a national research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). NIOO performs leading ecological research on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable use of land and water, stimulates ecological research of the Netherlands and shares its ecological knowledge with society. Based on our core values, NIOO strives to be a collaborative, inclusive, innovative, impactful, and responsible organization.

Microbial Ecology

You will be appointed at the Department of Microbial Ecology of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) located in Wageningen. For detailed information on the Microbial Ecology Department, please visit our website: Microbial Ecology | Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). You will work closely together with the other Microp teams.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.