Postdoc ‘Breeding for resilient crops'

Are you interested in the future of Plant Breeding and exploring the genetic potential of plants to develop resilient crops for a sustainable agriculture? Then this vacancy may be of interest to you.

Crop breeding plays a crucial role in addressing multiple worldwide most pressing challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, food and nutrition security, and the long-term competitiveness of agriculture. Yet research efforts, funding opportunities and infrastructure remain fragmented across Europe. What is needed to strengthen crop breeding research and innovation in Europe?

One of the most common targets in crop breeding has been resistance to pests and diseases caused by biotic factors. Recently, crop cultivation is under pressure of combined biotic and abiotic stresses due to the intensification of climate changes. Our research aims to explore plant genetic resources by using advanced biotechnology and molecular breeding tools to create cultivars of crops (with the focus on tomato) that are resistant to different diseases under abiotic stresses.

This postdoc position offers the opportunity to learn the needs for keeping plant breeding innovative in the future, and to apply your research skills in the domain of genetics, plant breeding and phytopathology to create resilient crops.

The postdoc will work with different teams on a few projects including EU projects and other national projects funded by Topsector.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Identifying the needs of future plant breeding
• Designing and conducting research including writing articles
• Supervising MSc and PhD students

You will work here
You will work closely with colleagues in multidisciplinary teams of the research group of “Breeding for Resistance” at WUR Plant Breeding. Additionally, you will collaborate with colleagues from other WUR Chair groups including Laboratory of Virology and Laboratory of Phytopathology, and Business Units including Biointeractions.

Plant Breeding of Wageningen University & Research is a merged unit of Wageningen Research and Wageningen University composed of around 200 people including MSc and PhD students and guest workers. It is a highly international group with more than 30 nationalities, organized in ten research groups. We conduct fundamental, strategic and applied research and provide teaching at all educational (BSc, MSc and PhD) levels. Our research focusses on the genetic basis of traits which are relevant to achieve a sustainable agri- and horticulture. We conduct this research often in partnership with breeding companies, local, regional and state governments.

Laboratorium Medewerker Plankton

Als laboratorium medewerker verwerk jij in het laboratorium de planktonmonsters, die tijdens onderzoeksreizen op zee zijn genomen. De monsters bestaan uit viseieren, -larven, en gonaden (geslachtsklieren) van vissen. De resultaten van deze analyses verwerk je nauwkeurig in data templates en via specifieke software.

Jouw taken en verantwoordelijkheden als laboratoriummedewerker plankton zijn:

• sorteren en analyseren van monsters, mede door middel van microscopie en beeldanalyse;
• histologische preparaten maken;
• vastleggen en invoeren van gegevens en verwerken resultaten.

Team en locatie
Jij gaat samenwerken met ongeveer 4 collega’s in een hecht en bevlogen onderzoeksteam van Wageningen Marine Research op onze locatie in IJmuiden. Met deze groep van specialisten werk je samen aan de succesvolle uitvoering van projecten.

Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) is één van de negen instituten die onderdeel uitmaakt van Wageningen Research. WMR is een toonaangevend, onafhankelijk onderzoeksinstituut met locaties in IJmuiden, Den Helder en Yerseke dat zich richt op strategisch en toegepast marien ecologisch onderzoek. Producten en diensten worden projectmatig uitgevoerd en zijn divers van aard: veldonderzoek, experimenten op realistische schaal, verkennende studies op laboratoriumschaal, datamanagement en modellering.

Plankton Laboratory Technician

As a laboratory technician, you will process plankton samples in the laboratory that have been collected during surveys at sea. These samples consist of fish eggs, larvae and fish gonads (reproductive organs). You will accurately record the results of these analyses in data templates and specific software applications.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a plankton laboratory technician include:

• sorting and analysing samples using microscopy and image analysis techniques;
• preparing histological sections;
• documenting and entering data and processing results.

Team and location
You will work alongside approximately four colleagues in a close and dedicated research team at Wageningen Marine Research based in IJmuiden. Together with this group of specialists, you will contribute to the successful delivery of a wide range of projects.

Wageningen Marine Research (WMR) is one of the nine research institutes that form part of Wageningen Research. WMR is a leading independent research institute with locations in IJmuiden, Den Helder and Yerseke, specialising in both strategic and applied marine ecological research. Its products and services are delivered through projects and cover a broad range of activities, including field studies, experiments at realistic scales, exploratory laboratory studies, data management and modelling.

Management Office Assistant

Are you an independent, pro-active, and service-oriented personality? Do you enjoy working with people? Are you good at organising, coordinating and managing multiple tasks? Are you friendly and open-minded? Are you proficient in both Dutch and English? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!

As a management office assistant, you will hold a key role in our group. You will be in charge of many administrative/organisation processes, taking care of the practical needs of an international group of lecturers, scientists and researchers. You will be their ‘go-to person’ when they run up against logistical problems and when they need professional support in predictable and unpredictable situations.

As an all-round assistant, you will also need to have an affinity with using software systems to provide administrative and secretarial support to this growing group of scientists and PhD students in the Forest & Nature Conservation Policy Group.

Your main tasks will include, but not limited to:

• Organise and attend group meetings, including note-taking and reporting;
• Handle formal correspondence, archiving, and data management;
• Ordering goods and services required by the group;
• Support university education in student enrolment and mark registration;
• Support the onboarding of new colleagues, including PhD students;
• Assist the chair holder in arranging his travels, appointments and management needs;
• Support communication activities such as the group’s website;
• Support colleagues in organising workshops, seminars and conferences.

Your team
The Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group (FNP) is a team of some 45 professors, lecturers, post-doctoral researchers and PhD students from more than 20 different countries, located either in The Netherlands or abroad. Your working place will be in Wageningen. The team is still growing in numbers.

Management Office Assistant

Ben jij een zelfstandige, proactieve en servicegerichte persoonlijkheid? Werk je graag met mensen? Ben je goed in organiseren, coördineren en het uitvoeren van meerdere taken tegelijk? Ben je vriendelijk en ruimdenkend? Beheers je zowel het Nederlands als het Engels uitstekend? Dan is dit misschien wel de perfecte kans voor jou!

Als management/office assistent(e) speel je een sleutelrol binnen onze groep. Je bent verantwoordelijk voor diverse administratieve en organisatorische processen en zorgt voor de praktische ondersteuning van een internationale groep docenten, wetenschappers en onderzoekers. Je bent hun eerste aanspreekpunt wanneer zij tegen logistieke uitdagingen aanlopen en wanneer zij professionele ondersteuning nodig hebben in zowel voorspelbare als onverwachte situaties.

Als allround ondersteuner heb je daarnaast affiniteit met het werken met softwaresystemen om administratieve en secretariële ondersteuning te bieden aan deze groeiende groep wetenschappers en promovendi binnen de leerstoelgroep Forest & Nature Conservation Policy.

Je belangrijkste werkzaamheden zijn onder meer:

• Organiseren en bijwonen van groepsvergaderingen, inclusief notuleren en verslaglegging;
• Verzorgen van formele correspondentie, archivering en databeheer;
• Bestellen van goederen en diensten die de groep nodig heeft;
• Ondersteunen van het onderwijsproces, waaronder studenteninschrijvingen en cijferregistratie;
• Ondersteunen van de onboarding van nieuwe collega's, waaronder promovendi;
• Ondersteunen van de leerstoelhouder bij het organiseren van reizen, afspraken en managementzaken;
• Ondersteunen van communicatieactiviteiten, zoals het beheer van de groepswebsite;
• Ondersteunen van collega's bij de organisatie van workshops, seminars en conferenties.

Jouw team
De leerstoelgroep Forest and Nature Conservation Policy (FNP) bestaat uit ongeveer 45 hoogleraren, docenten, postdoctorale onderzoekers en promovendi uit meer dan 20 verschillende landen. Zij zijn gevestigd in Nederland of daarbuiten. Je standplaats is Wageningen. De groep groeit nog steeds verder.