PhD Position: Time to die: Cell death as a tool to improve bioprocesses

Do you have a passion for understanding cellular mechanisms and microbial physiology, and translating this to bioprocesses? Are you driven by the challenge of pushing biotechnological innovation to the next level? This PhD position might be for you!

In this specific project, you will select specific regulated cell death pathways to be used as cell death switch. By coupling controllable cell death induction with productivity your aim is to increase process efficiency, without compromising product quality. This knowledge will be used to improve the bioproduction of chemicals, including pigments.

Understanding and Postponing Yeast Cell Death (UPsYDe) to improve production is a doctoral network of 13 PhD candidates funded by Horizon Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

UPsYDe consists of seven host institutes (Wageningen Universiteit, Universidade do Minho, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Austrian Centre for Industrial Biotechnology, Imperial College London, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca and Chalmers Tekniska Högskola) together with fifteen associated partners, ranging from start-up to large biotechnology companies and renowned research institutes. This consortium aims to understand how yeast cells die under industrial process conditions and to use this knowledge to improve biomanufacturing.

Different yeast species play a vital role in industrial biotechnology for the sustainable production of a wide range of products, for example ethanol as a biofuel or protein ingredients for alternatives to animal-based products. However, also the lifespan of these yeast cells is finite, and their death negatively impacts processes: for example, process duration or product quality. Fundamental research has revealed that yeast cells can die in different ways, i.e., different regulated cell death programs are present and (genetic) factors involved in these processes are being uncovered. However, in the context of industrial processes, regulated cell death has received little attention. Therefore, we will integrate fundamental cell and molecular biology, systems and synthetic biology with bioprocess and metabolic engineering to improve both our understanding of these cell death processes as well as the survival and performance of different yeast species in industrial bioprocesses.

Each of 13 doctoral projects will focus on a different aspect, more detailed information can be found on upsyde.eu, but in strong synergy with the other projects. At Wageningen we are looking for two PhD candidates. Each PhD will receive a strongly interdisciplinary training alongside performing exciting research. This includes secondments at two or more partners in the consortium.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• develop synthetic biology tools to induce specific RCD pathways in yeast;
• construct genetic circuits to couple productivity with specific induction;
• investigate the link between cell death mode and product quality;
• improve productivity of yeast bioprocesses by specific and “on demand” RCD activation;
• work together with the other 12 DCs to integrate and translate knowledge to other yeast species.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Bioprocess Engineering, and is part of the Microbial Biotechnology team, which is led by Prof. Dr. Ruud Weusthuis and Dr. Mark Bisschops. You will be supervised by Dr. Mark Bisschops. Within the project, you will collaborate with the other consortium members of UPsYDE and especially the Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology (SSB) at Wageningen University, the laboratory of Prof. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro at Imperial College (London, United Kingdom) and the company Octarine Bio in Denmark.

PhD Position: Quantitative impact of yeast cell death on (anaerobic) processes

Do you have a passion for understanding cellular mechanisms and microbial physiology, and translating this to bioprocesses? Are you curious to understand more on how yeast cell death factors impact physiology? This PhD position might be for you!

In this specific project, you will increase our understanding on how yeast cell death factors impact physiology and what evolutionary trade-offs are between cell death and survival at the culture level. One specific, and highly relevant condition that you will investigate is anaerobicity. This knowledge will be used to improve the bioproduction of chemicals, including ethanol as done in Brazilian biorefineries.

Understanding and Postponing Yeast Cell Death (UPsYDe) to improve production is a doctoral network of 13 PhD candidates funded by Horizon Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

UPsYDe consists of seven host institutes (Wageningen Universiteit, Universidade do Minho, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Austrian Centre for Industrial Biotechnology, Imperial College London, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca and Chalmers Tekniska Högskola) together with fifteen associated partners, ranging from start-up to large biotechnology companies and renowned research institutes. This consortium aims to understand how yeast cells die under industrial process conditions and to use this knowledge to improve biomanufacturing.

Different yeast species play a vital role in industrial biotechnology for the sustainable production of a wide range of products, for example ethanol as a biofuel or protein ingredients for alternatives to animal-based products. However, also the lifespan of these yeast cells is finite, and their death negatively impacts processes: for example, process duration or product quality. Fundamental research has revealed that yeast cells can die in different ways, i.e., different regulated cell death programs are present and (genetic) factors involved in these processes are being uncovered. However, in the context of industrial processes, regulated cell death has received little attention. Therefore, we will integrate fundamental cell and molecular biology, systems and synthetic biology with bioprocess and metabolic engineering to improve both our understanding of these cell death processes as well as the survival and performance of different yeast species in industrial bioprocesses.

Each of 13 doctoral projects will focus on a different aspect, more detailed information can be found on upsyde.eu, but in strong synergy with the other projects. At Wageningen we are looking for two PhD candidates. Each PhD will receive a strongly interdisciplinary training alongside performing exciting research. This includes secondments at two or more partners in the consortium.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• identify the mechanisms behind anaerobic yeast cell death;
• quantify the impact of yeast cell death factors on yeast physiology;
• detect evolutionary trade-offs between cell death and survival at the culture level;
• improve prolonged (anaerobic) bioproduction by S. cerevisiae;
• work together with the other 12 DCs to integrate and translate knowledge to other yeast species.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Bioprocess Engineering, and is part of the Microbial Biotechnology team, which is led by Prof. Dr. Ruud Weusthuis and Dr. Mark Bisschops. You will be supervised by Dr. Mark Bisschops. Within the project, you will collaborate with the other consortium members of UPsYDE and especially the Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology (SSB) at Wageningen University, the laboratories of Dr. Paula Ludovico at UMinho (Braga, Portugal) and of Prof. Andreas Gombert at Unicamp (Campinas, Brazil).

Onderzoeker project Wageningen versterkt bestaanszekerheid.

Voor het project “Wageningen versterkt bestaanszekerheid” zoeken wij een Postdoc of senior onderzoeker.

De Leerstoelgroep Gezondheid en Maatschappij van Wageningen University start binnenkort met het driejarig onderzoek “Wageningen versterkt bestaanszekerheid: Samen leren en evalueren”. Wageningen heeft sinds 2025 het Maatschappelijk Meedoen Budget met het doel dat burgers meer inkomenszekerheid ervaren, beter mee kunnen doen in de samenleving en zich gezonder voelen. In dit project faciliteren en evalueren we dit nieuwe beleid en de ondersteunende gemeenschap.

Het project wordt gefinancierd door ZonMW en uitgevoerd in samenwerking met de Gemeente Wageningen, het Welzijnswerk in Wageningen, het Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (SCP), ervaringsdeskundigen, burgers en diverse andere lokale en nationale organisaties.

Jouw taken en verantwoordelijkheden als onderzoeker zijn:

• Je stimuleert en faciliteert de samenwerking en de voortgang van het project met alle betrokkenen op verschillende niveaus.
• Je voert het onderzoek uit in nauwe samenwerking met partners en inwoners en analyseert en rapporteert de bevindingen.
• Je draagt bij aan het opschalen en breder implementeren van het Wageningse Maatschappelijk Meedoen Budget – beleid.
• Je draagt bij aan het ontwikkelen van de verandertheorie en publiceert in (wetenschappelijke) tijdschriften.

Jouw team
Binnen Wageningen Universiteit werk je bij de leerstoelgroep Gezondheid en Maatschappij. Je werkt nauw samen met onderzoekers van Wageningen Universiteit, de Gemeente Wageningen, inwoners, ervaringsdeskundigen, maatschappelijke organisaties en het Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (SCP).

Hier ga je werken
De Health and Society leerstoelgroep richt zich op belangrijke uitdagingen die de gezondheid van mensen en de planeet beïnvloeden. Of we nu de focus leggen op individuen, gemeenschappen, beleidskwesties of bredere milieukwesties, we integreren deze aspecten in ons onderwijs en onderzoek om de gezondheid en het welzijn van de samenleving te bevorderen.

We onderzoeken verschillende aspecten, zoals de invloed van de fysieke omgeving op leefstijl en gezondheidspraktijken, de invloed van vrienden en familie op (on)gezonde keuzes, en de effecten van beleid op de gezondheid van de bevolking en het milieu. Onze aanpak combineert wetenschappelijke inzichten met participatieve methoden om bij te dragen aan een gezondere wereld. We werken samen met de praktijk om onze onderzoeksdoelen te bereiken en de impact van ons werk te vergroten.

Researcher – project “Wageningen strengthens livelihood security".

For the project “Wageningen strengthens livelihood security,” we are looking for a Postdoc or Senior Researcher.

The Chair Group Health and Society at Wageningen University will soon start the three-year research project “Wageningen strengthens livelihood security: Learning and evaluating together.” Since 2025, Wageningen has implemented the Social Participation Budget with the aim of ensuring that citizens experience greater income security, can participate more fully in society, and enjoy better health. In this project, we facilitate and evaluate this new policy and its supporting community.

The project is funded by ZonMW and carried out in collaboration with the Municipality of Wageningen, Wageningen Social Services, the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), experts by experience, citizens, and various other local and national organisations.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a researcher include:

• Encouraging and facilitating collaboration and project progress with all stakeholders at different levels.
• Conducting research in close cooperation with partners and citizens, and analysing and reporting the findings.
• Contributing to the scaling up and broader implementation of the Wageningen Social Participation Budget policy.
• Contributing to the development of the programme theory and publishing in (academic) journals.

Extern lid DEC WUR met expertise diergeneeskunde

De Dierexperimentencommissie van Wageningen Universiteit en Research (DEC WUR) beoordeelt aanvragen voor vergunningen voor het uitvoeren van dierproeven, veelal om wetenschappelijke onderzoeksvragen gericht op (landbouwhuis)dieren te beantwoorden of voor onderwijs met dieren.

De commissie beoordeelt of het belang van voorgestelde dierproeven/onderwijs opweegt tegen het ongerief dat de proefdieren daarbij ondervinden. De commissie maakt daarbij een ethische afweging over het wel/niet verlenen van een vergunning welke daaropvolgend tekstueel wordt opgeschreven in een advies gericht aan de Centrale Commissie Dierproeven. De DEC WUR bestaat uit betrokken leden en beoordeelt voornamelijk aanvragen afkomstig van onderzoekers van Wageningen Universiteit en Research, maar ook van externe organisaties. Alle DEC-leden zijn aangesteld op persoonlijke titel en handelen zonder last of ruggespraak.