As an enthusiastic and talented postdoctoral researcher with a strong interest in symbiosis research, you are going to work on the following project: Detoxifying Symbiosis in Pest Insects.

Insects live in symbiosis with microorganisms where the latter serve a multitude of functions such as aiding in digestion, supplementation of essential vitamins or amino acids, or the defence against pathogens. At the Microbiology department at Radboud University, we study insect-microbe symbioses with a focus on functional characterisation of the gut microbiome. In this project, you will investigate the symbiosis between a pest insect and its gut microbiome, revealing whether microorganisms are involved in the detoxification of pesticides. We furthermore aim to elucidate microbial breakdown pathways of pesticides. This work might lead to the elucidation of targets for new pest control strategies. Besides your own experimental work, you will contribute to the supervision of a PhD candidate.
Relevant literature: van den Bosch & Welte (2017) Microb Biotechnol 10: 531-40 ; Welte et al. (2016) Environ Microbiol 18: 1379-90.

REQUIREMENTS

• a PhD degree in microbiology
• experience in symbiosis research
• proficiency in spoken and written English
• excellent communication skills
• experience with publishing scientific papers
• affinity with the following laboratory skills: DNA sequencing (amplicon/metagenome), analytics (GC, MS, HPLC), enzyme biochemistry, culturing of bacteria and insects

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• employment: 1.0 FTE
• a maximum gross monthly salary of € 4,274 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 10)
• in addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• duration of the contract: 2 years
• classification in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO): Researcher, Level 3
• you will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service where our Dual Career Officer will assist with family related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation