1 Postdoctoral Researcher on Plant Physiology/Molecular Phytopathology at the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) in Netherlands | University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) infestations and subsequent transfer of viruses cause severe losses in crop production and horticultural practice. As a result of legislation demanding reduced pesticide usage, whitefly resistance has become one of the most important breeding targets in vegetable crops, and we recently contributed to this for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum; PNAS, 2012). During the last years it has become clear that whiteflies can suppress some of the natural defenses of plants. Sap feeders like whiteflies and aphids secrete protein-rich saliva into leaf tissue. These salivary secretions contain so-called “effectors” that manipulate key steps in the plant’s molecular defense network . These molecular Achilles heels can be targeted by breeders to restore resistance. This project aims to identify effectors from whiteflies and the plant proteins with which they interact using transcriptomics, proteomics and interactions assays. This project is in the context of an NWO project in the Core program starting materials in collaboration with the vegetable breeding industry.

Requirements

Candidates should have a PhD in plant molecular biology or molecular phytopathology and preferentially have experience with sequencing techniques, protein affinity assays, proteomics and plant transformation. Experience with ‘effectors’ and/or with whiteflies will be appreciated is not a requirement. The candidate should have excellent communication skills, be willing to supervise (PhD) students and be keen to work in collaboration with the breeding industry.

Conditions of employment

The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a period of three years, including a probation period of one year. Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly starting salary will be at most €3,150 depending on experience (scale 10-6). The Collective Employment Agreement (CAO) of the Dutch Universities is applicable. Job Interviews will take place at the end of July.

Department

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is one of the Faculty of Science’s largest institutes. Its approximately 240 scientists and staff members work in 14 research groups that perform excellent research centered on four themes: 1) The Living Cell, 2) Plant Signaling, 3) Neuroscience, and 4) Life Science Technologies.

The research group Plant Physiology investigates the molecular and physiological basis of plant signaling cascades in response to (a)biotic stress. In this context we are seeking for a postdoctoral researcher.