POSTDOC PLANT DEVELOPMENT AND STRESS RESPONSES

Wageningen University

Job description

Do you want to investigate how environmental stress impacts plant development and growth? Are you interested in research at the molecular and cellular level yet always linking your results to plant performance and growth under stress? Are you motivated to do research and contribute to teaching and mentoring in a diverse team of scientists?

At the Laboratory of Plant Physiology we study plant responses to their environment. We investigate how stress tolerance and plant performance in adverse environmental conditions are guided by underlying molecular, cellular and physiological processes. Within the research group led by Prof. dr. Christa Testerink, we study responses of plants to drought and salinity. Salt is highly detrimental to plant growth and survival. Yet at the same time plants are able to locally steer their development to optimize their architecture under these conditions. In the recently started NWO-Vici project "Plant Stress Resilience: Think Global, Act Local" we aim to elucidate novel local cellular signaling pathways in root branching and timing of flowering that help plants cope with stressful conditions.

The Vici team will consist of 2 PhD students, 2 post-docs and a technician and we are currently looking for a post-doctoral researcher to strengthen the team. Within the project you will be responsible for a research project focused on salt stress-induced molecular signaling pathways that affect root branching and timing of flowering. While in general root growth is severely hampered under stress, we have identified natural variation in this response in Arabidopsis (Julkowska et al., Plant Cell 2017), which is mediated by several stress-specific highly localized pathways that in fact can promote root branching in salt. We hypothesize the existence of similar mechanisms for timing of flowering in salt stress. We aim to elucidate these molecular pathways and their contribution to plant developmental plasticity and resilience to salinity. Besides carrying out the research project, you will contribute to teaching PhD, MSc and BSc students.

,

Requirements

  You have obtained a PhD in Plant Science, with a focus on molecular biology.

  You have a publication record in international peer-reviewed journals that shows you are capable of making original and significant contributions to your field.

  You work in a structured and focused way, and you a have solid experience in plant molecular biology. Experience in confocal microscopy, bio- informatics, biochemistry and gene regulatory network approaches are an advantage.

  You are a team player, with great communication skills and the wish to contribute to the group's overall aim.

  You are creative and enthusiastic about your research, and you are willing to contribute to mentoring and teaching PhD, MSc and BSc students that work with you on the project.

This position requires an excellent English language proficiency (a mininum of CEFR C1 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

Conditions of employment

A challenging position for three years with, depending on your experience, a competitive salary from a minimum of € 3217 to a maximum of € 4402 for a full working week of 38 hours in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement Dutch Universities (scale 10). In addition, an appointment of 0,8 FTE is negotiable We provide a stimulating environment for science, with commitment to help you develop your career in science.

In addition, we offer:

  8% holiday allowance;

  a structural year-end bonus of 8.3%;

  excellent training opportunities and secondary employment conditions;

  flexible working hours and holidays can possibly be determined in consultation so that an optimal balance between work and private life is possible;

  excellent pension plan through ABP;

  232 vacation hours, the option to purchase extra and good supplementary leave schemes;

  a flexible working time;

  a choice model to put together part of your employment conditions yourself, such as a bicycle plan;

  a lively workplace where you can easily make contacts and where many activities take place on the Wageningen Campus. A place where education, research and business are represented;

  use the sports facilities on campus.

Wageningen University & Research stimulates internal career opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are ample opportunities for own initiative in a learning environment. We offer a versatile job in an international environment with varied activities in a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

EmployerWageningen University & Research

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With approximately 30 locations, 6,000 employees, and 12,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen.

For further information about working at Wageningen University & Research, take a look at thespecial career site.

Equal opportunities employer We are an employer that offers equal opportunities. We are happy to receive applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of race, gender, functional impairment, religion / belief, sexual orientation or age. We believe that a diverse and inclusive working environment makes us a more relevant, competitive and resilient organization. Click here for more information about working at WUR with a functional impairment.

Additional information

For more information about this function, please contact Prof. dr. Christa Testerink, Project leader by e-mail; christa.testerink@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl.

General information about the Laboratory of Plant Physiology can be found on www. pph.wur.nl, more information on the abiotic stress research line at rootsinsalt.com.

This vacancy is open up to and including December 7, 2020. You can apply through the application button on the WUR vacancy website.

The first online job interviews will take place in the week of 14 December 2020.

应聘时请将简历抄送一份到：chinayanjiusheng@126.com，邮件标题：应聘单位名称、姓名、学历、专业、中国研究生招聘网