Onderzoeker genetische bronnen bomen en struiken

Ben jij een onderzoeker met bosbouwkundige én genetische kennis van bomen, struiken en genetische diversiteit? Voer je graag toegepast onderzoek uit naar het behoud en duurzaam gebruik van genetische bronnen van inheemse soorten bomen en struiken, en volg je de wetenschappelijke ontwikkelingen op dit gebied op de voet? Dan zijn wij op zoek naar jou!

Voor het team Sustainable Forest Ecosystems (SFE) zoeken wij een gedreven WO-onderzoeker (m/v) genetische bronnen bomen en struiken die een combinatie van genetische expertise en bosbouwkundige kennis meeneemt. In deze functie werk je aan actuele vraagstukken rondom biodiversiteit, natuurbeheer en behoud van genetische bronnen. Je levert een tastbare bijdrage aan het behoud van autochtone bomen en struiken in Nederland, mede via het Centrum voor Genetische Bronnen Nederland en de Rassenlijst Bomen.

Wat ga je doen?

• Onderzoek & analyse: Je voert zelfstandig en in teamverband toegepast onderzoek uit naar behoud en duurzaam gebruik van genetische bronnen van boom- en struiksoorten.
• Kennisdeling: Je analyseert en interpreteert data, en vertaalt deze naar resultaten in heldere publicaties (wetenschappelijke artikelen, Nederlandstalige rapporten én vakpublicaties).
• Strategisch advies: Je adviseert beleid en praktijk over effectieve strategieën voor behoud van genetische bronnen en werkt actief aan de implementatie ervan binnen diverse projecten.
• Innovatie: Je blijft de nieuwste wetenschappelijke ontwikkelingen op de voet volgen en past deze toe.

Netwerken en projectverwerving: Je speelt een rol in het werven van nieuwe, uitdagende onderzoeksprojecten

Researcher genetic resources of trees and shrubs

Are you a researcher with both ecological and genetic expertise in trees, shrubs, and genetic diversity? Do you have a strong interest in conducting applied research into the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of native trees and shrubs? Are you keen to contribute meaningfully to the conservation of genetic diversity and do you closely follow scientific developments in this field? Then we are looking for you!

For the Sustainable Forest Ecosystems (SFE) team, we are seeking a motivated researcher in genetic resources of trees and shrubs, who brings a combination of genetic expertise and knowledge of forest management. In this position, you will work on current issues related to biodiversity, nature conservation, and the conservation of genetic resources. Through the Centre for Genetic Resources the Netherlands, you will make a concrete contribution to the conservation of autochthonous trees and shrubs in the Netherlands, both in situ and in field and seed collections.

What will you do?

• Research & analysis: You will independently and collaboratively conduct applied research into the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of tree and shrub species.
• Knowledge sharing: You will analyse and interpret data, and translate findings into clear publications (scientific articles, Dutch-language reports, and professional publications).
• Strategic advice: You will advise policymakers and practitioners on effective strategies for conserving genetic resources and actively contribute to their implementation within various projects.
• Innovation: Maintain a strong awareness of emerging scientific insights and integrate these into your research activities.
• Networking and project acquisition: You will play a role in acquiring new, challenging research projects.

Full Professor and Chair Bioprocess Engineering

Due to the upcoming retirement of the current chair holder, a vacancy has arisen for a Full Professor in the Bioprocess Engineering chair group, part of Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The group has an outstanding international reputation in research and education in the field of bioprocess engineering.

The mission of the Bioprocess Engineering group is to understand, harness, and expand nature’s potential for biomanufacturing while educating and training future generations of bioprocess scientists and engineers, and lay the basis for value creation. This translates into research on developing innovative and scalable bio-based processes to produce biopharmaceuticals, healthy food ingredients, materials, chemicals, and biofuels. The group strives to understand, explore, exploit, and enhance cells, processes, and technologies for more efficient and sustainable bioproduction of high-quality bio-based products in a sustainable and cost-effective way, preventing the depletion of natural resources. This is achieved by utilizing biocatalysts such as bacteria, algae, yeasts, fungi, animal cells, and enzymes, and building upon a strong combination of core process engineering, (synthetic) biology and computational expertise. The group is responsible for a large part of the courses in the biotechnology curriculum (7 BSc and 9 MSc courses) and supports about 15 BSc theses, 60 MSc theses and 45 internships yearly.

The position of chair of the Bioprocess Engineering group offers you the opportunity to shape and expand your own research lines in synergy with the group’s scientific focus, while also developing your academic leadership profile. In this role, you will share responsibility for the academic and operational management of the group. In this role, you are responsible for both the academic and operational management of the group. Your responsibilities will include setting up the research strategy together with your team, guiding a diverse team of scientists, lecturers, and support staff, and further strengthening the group’s national and international standing. In addition, you will contribute to high-quality education at the BSc, MSc, and PhD levels and help drive innovation in teaching, supporting WUR’s strong reputation in higher education.

The Bioprocess Engineering group consists of the chair group and the pilot facility AlgaePARC. The chair group harbours 1 Chair Holder and Full Professor, 3 Personal Professors, 3 Associate Professors and one special part time associate professor, 6 Assistant Professors, 3 lecturers, 4 Postdoctoral Researchers, and approximately 60 PhD candidates. The group is supported by a shared team of professionals including 3 research managers, 6 technicians, and 2 secretaries. The group is divided into 6 themes being Biomanufacturing and Digital Twins, Biorefinery, Animal cell technology, Microalgal Biotechnology, Microbial Biotechnology, and Cellular Agriculture. At AlgaePARC 3 technicians and a business developer are employed.

More information on the group can be found on their Bioprocess Engineering | WUR

Researcher Food product development using cultured cells

In this role, you will apply your strong knowledge on food ingredients and their functionality, as well as, advanced expertise in instrumental and sensory technique for assessing food product quality. For activities related to food product development, we are seeking for a motivated postdoctoral research to explore the use of cultured cells in meat products.

Your research will be part of the CRAFT project, coordinated by RespectFarm and funded by EIT Food. The project focuses on innovations in sustainable food systems.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Develop and optimize cell-based meat product prototypes
• Study the shelf-life stability and nutritional value of prototypes
• Assess prototype qualities using advanced instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation panel
• Collaborate closely with experts in cultured cell production and related disciplines
• Supervise BSc and/or MSc student projects
• Analyze experimental data and write high-quality deliverable reports for the project

Your team
You will work at Food Quality and Design group, which is a large multidisciplinary chair group. The vision of the group is that health, sustainability, and quality aspects of food products are fundamental "to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life", i.e. the mission of Wageningen University and Research.

The objectives of FQD are to develop new scientific knowledge on food design and quality management and to train future generations for positions at the boundary between food technology and other disciplines. Better understanding of protein digestion kinetics is one of the key research areas of FQD.

Postdoc in Integrated Agronomic – Genomic – Remote Sensing Data Fusion

Are you passionate about integrating agronomic, genomic, and remote sensing data to better understand plant stress, disease progression, and crop resilience? Do you enjoy working across field campaigns, laboratory analysis, and advanced data systems? Then this postdoctoral position within the ESA-funded HYDRA-EO project (ESA Tender ITT 1-242-649, Crop Multiple Stressors, Pests and Diseases) is an excellent opportunity for you.

HYDRA-EO focuses on the multi-scale detection of biotic and abiotic stress in Mediterranean crops using UAV hyperspectral and thermal imagery, radiative transfer modelling, agronomic field measurements, and genetic markers. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will develop an integrated data framework to combine remote sensing observations, phenotypic measurements, and genomic datasets into a coherent analytical pipeline to support early disease detection and trait interpretation across Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

HYDRA-EO focuses on the multi-scale detection of biotic and abiotic stress in Mediterranean crops using UAV hyperspectral and thermal imagery, radiative transfer modelling, agronomic field measurements, and genetic markers. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will develop an integrated data framework to combine remote sensing observations, phenotypic measurements, and genomic datasets into a coherent analytical pipeline to support early disease detection and trait interpretation across the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

You will play a key coordinating role in the 2026 airborne and field campaigns in these countries, facilitating sampling plans, metadata protocols, genetic–phenotypic data integration, and communication between European partners. Your work will directly contribute to the scientific developments of HYDRA-EO and to the preparation of next-generation Earth Observation applications for crop stress monitoring.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Integrate multi-source datasets (remote sensing, agronomic traits, phenotyping records, and genomic markers) into a unified analytical framework.
• Conduct field scouting to identify biotic and abiotic stress symptoms in crops, coordinate sampling activities, and ensure accurate collection of phenotypic information across sites.
• Support the design, implementation, and coordination of UAV hyperspectral and thermal field campaigns in Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
• Process and harmonize phenotyping, genetic, and canopy-level remote sensing measurements for multi-stressor disease detection.
• Collaborate with plant physiologists, geneticists, and remote sensing specialists to link spectral traits with biochemical and genetic variation.
• Contribute to scientific publications, methodological reports, and data standards for HYDRA-EO.
• Communicate effectively with international project partners and stakeholders to support coordinated data collection and field campaign planning in the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

Your team
You will be part of the Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing (GRS) at Wageningen University, collaborating closely with researchers working on hyperspectral imaging, radiative transfer modelling, machine learning, agronomy, and plant genetics. You will also work with HYDRA-EO partners in Netherlands, Spain and Italy, contributing to multi-scale crop disease studies and joint field campaigns.