Laboratory Technician / Sample Logistics Coordinator (1.0 FTE)

Are you customer-oriented, technical, communicative, and have an affinity with environmental laboratories? Do you want a unique job where you combine logistics and lab work? Then we’re looking for you!

As a Technical research assistant within ESG’s Proficiency Testing Team, you will work in a small team that organizes proficiency testing for soil, water, plants, and animal materials, among others, produces test materials and supplies reference materials to support quality assurance in laboratories worldwide.

In this role, you will work closely with the coordinators of the WEPAL and QUASIMEME programs, ensure that test materials are dispatched to laboratories worldwide, assist with the acquisition and preparation of aquatic and terrestrial samples, and with the maintenance of the sample preparation equipment. You will be the first point of contact for our customers regarding sample shipments and the sale of reference materials.

Your tasks and responsibilities include:

• shipping samples and reference materials to laboratories worldwide, including coordinating all logistics, and preparing all necessary documents;
• maintaining contact with customers regarding orders and shipments;
• monitoring stock of samples, raw materials, sample materials and consumables;
• maintaining the sample preparation equipment;
• (help/assist) preparing various (terrestrial and aquatic) samples.

Your team
The Proficiency Testing Team is a team of 10 enthusiastic staff members who have been organizing laboratory proficiency testing for over 70 years. We have been ISO 17043 accredited for this purpose since 2000. We are known for our quality and customer-friendliness.

You will work here
The Proficiency Testing Team is one of the 14 ESG teams at Stichting Wageningen Research, based on the Wageningen University and Research Campus, in building 112 NERGENA.

Postdoc on computational (meta)genomic analysis

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges for global food security, requiring new approaches to understand and harness the natural diversity that enables plants and their associated microbiomes to adapt to environmental change. Ancient environmental DNA (eDNA) provides a unique record of past ecosystems, preserving genetic traces of microorganisms and plants that interacted with crops and their wild relatives over thousands of years. In this project, you will develop and apply computational omics approaches to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying ancient plant–microbiome interactions, with a particular focus on biosynthetic gene clusters and other functional genes involved in chemical communication, defence, and adaptation. You will analyse large-scale ancient metagenomic datasets to identify and characterize microbial and plant-derived biosynthetic pathways, predict their ecological functions, and reconstruct the (co-)evolutionary dynamics of traits such as microbiome recruitment, metabolite-mediated interactions, pathogenicity and disease resistance. This will involve using and further adapting state-of-the-art genome mining approaches, including biosynthetic gene cluster identification, gene cluster family classification, and functional prediction, to work with highly fragmented and complex eDNA datasets.

This project is part of the larger European AEGIS consortium, bringing together expertise in ancient DNA, plant science, microbiome research, computational biology, and crop improvement. You will work closely with researchers across the consortium to translate computational predictions into biological insights and identify ancient genetic traits that may contribute to future climate-resilient agriculture. Within Wageningen University, you will be embedded in the Bioinformatics chair group and collaborate with researchers developing innovative approaches for microbiome and genome mining. The research is expected to deliver fundamental insights into the evolutionary history of plant–microbiome interactions, novel computational strategies for analysing ancient omics data, and candidate genes and pathways that can ultimately support the development of more resilient crops.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• computational (meta)genome mining and quantitative data analysis of biosynthetic and catabolic genes and clusters, pathogenicity genes and other functional genes relevant for host-microbe interactions across ancient DNA samples;
• biological interpretation of the data to elucidate evolution of plant-microbiome interactions and metabolites involved therein;
• development or improvement of existing or new algorithms or computational strategies;
• collaboration with international partners.

Your team
You will work within the Bioinformatics chair group at Wageningen University, in the team of Marnix Medema. The expertise of the Medema research group within the Bioinformatics chair group lies in developing and applying computational approaches to identify metabolic pathways and connect them to specific molecules and phenotypes.

You will work here
Wageningen UR has a global reputation for its ground-breaking research and innovative education in the fields of food and health, sustainable agrosystems, the rural environment, and societal development - all of which make an essential contribution to the quality of life, i.e. the supply of safe and healthy food and drink, on the one hand, and the chance to live, work and play in a balanced ecosystem with a large variety of plants and animals on the other. Within Wageningen UR, the Plant Sciences Group (PSG) brings together science education and scientific, strategic and applied research in the fields of biology, of plants in relation to their environment, of plant-related organisms and of plant production. This project will be carried out at the Bioinformatics Group within PSG. This research group focuses on fundamental and applied bioinformatics research in the green life sciences. In particular, they develop and apply novel computational methods for the analysis and integration of –omics data. The group has a strong track record in (integrative) computational omics analysis, algorithm development, machine learning and scientific data infrastructure. There are many national and international collaborations with researchers studying plant and microbe metabolism, biotechnology and genomics.

Postdoc position: Rheology of Gluten-Free Products

Are you interested in advanced rheological characterization, microstructure analysis, and modelling of complex food systems? In this postdoctoral project, you will combine fundamental science with practical impact to help develop gluten-free products that match the quality of their wheat-based counterparts. Read on to learn more.

Wheat flour and wheat-based products, ranging from pasta to bakery products, are fundamental components of human nutrition. At the same time, the demand for high-quality gluten-free products has increased rapidly, creating an urgent need for ingredients that can effectively replace the unique functionality of gluten. The mechanical behavior of dough is a key determinant of processing performance and final product quality, with gluten playing a central role in the development of the dough's microstructure and its nonlinear mechanical response. However, the design of gluten-free formulations is hindered by a limited understanding of the relationship between gluten microstructure and dough mechanics.

This project aims to establish this fundamental knowledge by combining nonlinear rheology, shear-induced normal force rheology measurements, and in situ visualization of microstructural evolution during deformation. Natural dough and simplified model formulations will be investigated to quantify structure–property relationships, while the experimental observations will be interpreted using theoretical and constitutive models.

The resulting insights will provide a scientific basis for identifying suitable gluten-replacing ingredients and developing formulation and processing strategies that reproduce the mechanical behavior and end-product quality of conventional wheat-based products.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• nonlinear rheology and normal force rheology on dough and model system pastes;
• quantification and visualization of fine structure under deformation;
• modelling the normal force and rheological responses via available models;
• translating these results to new formulation and product design criteria.

You will work here

Laboratory of Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods at Wageningen University aims to deliver fundamental knowledge in the physics of foods, and application concepts for academic partners, industry and society. We study how the physical structure of foods determines their taste, texture, stability and overall quality. As the global demand for tasty, healthy and sustainably produced foods continues to grow, we need new ways to design ingredients and food products that use resources efficiently while still meeting consumer expectations.

Senior Trial keeper

As a Senior Greenhouse Trial Keeper, you are responsible for the planning, execution, and supervision of greenhouse and cultivation trials at our research facility in Bleiswijk. Drawing on your extensive experience in horticulture, you ensure that every trial is carried out according to plan and that researchers can rely on optimal crop management throughout the trial.

Please note that while this vacancy is advertised in English, Dutch is the primary working language, and proficiency in Dutch is required for this role.
You coordinate the required people, materials, and resources, monitor progress, and take responsibility for key aspects of crop cultivation, including irrigation, fertilisation, greenhouse climate control, crop health, and crop protection.

Throughout each trial, you are the crop specialist. You closely monitor crop development, identify deviations at an early stage, and communicate your findings with researchers and colleagues to ensure the successful execution of every trial.

As a Trial Keeper, you play a key role in ensuring that pioneering greenhouse horticulture research is carried out with the highest possible level of accuracy and precision. You will be responsible for several greenhouse compartments and will have access to all the resources you need to successfully deliver your trials.

Your key responsibilities as a Trial Keeper include:

• Conducting crop trials in greenhouses and/or the vertical farm.
• Participating in on-call and emergency response duties, including approximately five weekends per year.
• Actively contributing to the training and development of colleagues.
• Contributing to the overall quality and continuous improvement of the trial facility.

Your Team
You will join a team of experienced Trial Keepers, technicians, and cropworkers who are dedicated to executing research trials with the highest level of precision every day.

Your Workplace
You will be based at our research facility in Bleiswijk. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) operates approximately 120 greenhouse compartments and four vertical farming cells across a 5-hectare site. Here, we conduct the full spectrum of greenhouse horticulture research, ranging from robotics and autonomous cultivation to crop health, plant physiology, and energy-efficient production systems.

Around 150 WUR employees work at the Bleiswijk location. As a Trial Keeper, you will be part of the Greenhouse Facility team, consisting of approximately 30 colleagues.

PhD: Impact of Weight Loss Medication on Sensory Perception and Eating Behavior

Please note: due to interaction with Dutch participants from The Netherlands, fluency in Dutch is a must have.

Are you interested in new generation weight loss medication and how they influence the way people smell, perceive and experience food? Do you want to understand why some individuals respond differently to GLP-1 receptor agonists? This PhD position might be for you!

As part of an NWO-Vici project, Wageningen University & Research is looking for a PhD candidate to setup and conduct a prospective longitudinal study in individuals initiating GLP-1 agonist therapy. GLP-1 receptor agonist medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed weight loss treatment and are increasingly used worldwide. Despite their effectiveness in reducing food intake and weight, substantial variation exists in individual response, and we know surprisingly little about if and how these medications influence food preferences, eating behaviour and sensory perception.

The aim of this project is to assess whether such changes contribute to long-term treatment success. A collaborating postdoc will perform advanced MRI brain imaging in a subset of participants to investigate changes in the olfactory bulb and connected brain regions.

Your role in this project
You will establish and conduct a prospective longitudinal study in individuals starting with weight loss medication treatment. You will investigate how smell and taste sensitivity, food preferences, appetite and eating behaviour change over time and whether these changes are associated with weight loss outcomes and treatment adherence. The project combines sensory science, human nutrition and behavioural research and will involve close collaboration with clinical partners.

As part of your PhD trajectory, you will:

• conduct high-quality scientific research within the field of sensory science and eating behaviour;
• set up and coordinate a prospective cohort study;
• perform sensory and behavioural measurements and analyse longitudinal data;
• collaborate with academic and clinical partners;
• publish findings in international peer-reviewed journals and present your work at national and international conferences;
• supervise BSc and MSc students;
• contribute to teaching activities within the Division of Human Nutrition and Health.

Where will you work?
The project is embedded within the Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour chair group at the Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University & Research. You will work in an interdisciplinary and internationally recognized research environment with expertise in sensory science, eating behaviour, physiology and human intervention studies.

The project will be supervised by Dr. Marlou Lasschuijt and Associate Professor Sanne Boesveldt and involves collaborations with clinical partners. The preferred starting date is 1st of November 2026.