PhD candidate in Chemical Communication between Plants and the Microbiome

If you enjoy working in an interdisciplinary research team and are eager to contribute to the understanding of how plants interact with other organisms then the Plant Hormone Biology group which is part of the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam is the place to be!

Join Us!

Just like all other organisms plants also communicate not only with their own species but also with hundreds other organisms surrounding them using the language of this project you will decode a hybrid chemical language jointly made by plants and their associated microbes. Intriguingly this language can also be perceived by parasitic nematodes. You will uncover how this language is created from plant side through transcriptome and metabolomics data analysis and biochemical characterization of plant genes. By knocking out or silencing the candidate genes you will study the function of this language for plants microbes and nematodes. You will be involved in Microbial Imprinting for Crop Resilience (MiCRop) consortia and have opportunities to interact with 5 other groups working on the plant microbiome interactions in the Netherlands.

This is what you will do

The mission of the Plant Hormone Biology group is to understand the chemical communication of plants with other organisms in their environment. With an international and diverse team of post-docs PhDs and technicians with expertise varying from analytical chemistry to biochemistry and molecular biology we study how plants use signaling molecules to affect the behavior of other organisms in the rhizosphere. This includes communication with microbial communities that have been shown to play a crucial role in the protection of plants against a range of stresses. Our research is aimed at understanding the biological relevance of this chemical communication and using it as a basis for improving resistance and harnessing the potential of beneficial root microbes resulting in improved stress resilience in crops for sustainable food production with reduced inputs.

You will be responsible for identification of plant genes and precursors involved in a triterpenoid biosynthesis. Biosynthetic candidate genes will be functionally characterized using transient overexpression and gene silencing approaches. Finally you will knock out a selection of the most interesting genes by stable transformation using CRISPR/Cas9. Through these knockout lines you will study the function of this triterpenoid for plants microbes and nematodes.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• complete a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• perform your experiments in a systematic and well controlled manner and keep accurate records by properly documenting and organizing your work;
• be an active member of the research group and take responsibility for shared tasks. Discuss your work with group members and during consortium meetings. Incorporate feedback and give input to others;
• present your results at (inter)national scientific meetings;
• help with writing project reports;
• take a leading role in writing and publishing manuscripts;
• participate in the Faculty of Science PhD training program and the training program of the Experimental School of Plant Sciences;
• assist in teaching and supervising Bachelor and Master theses and tutoring students.

What we ask of you

You are passionate about science and have a particular interest in experimental plant biology and the plant metabolism. You enjoy performing experimental work (e.g. molecular biology analytical chemistry using LC-MS plant transformation) as well as data analysis and writing. You enjoy working in a multidisciplinary team and are a team player. You have good communication skills as you will be expected to discuss your results with a large group of partners and in (inter)national meetings.

Your experience and profile:

You have/are:

• a Master in Biology or Plant Science;
• experience with experimental work in plants;
• experience with omics analysis (especially transcriptomics and metabolomics);
• experience with data analysis using R or related program languages;
• affinity with plant metabolism;
• affinity with biochemistry and analytical chemistry;
• fluency in English both written and spoken.

This is what we offer you

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years).The preferred starting date is as soon as possible. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from 3.059 in the first year to 3.881 (scale P) in the last year. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 83% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD candidate applicable The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Curious about our extensive secondary benefits package You can read more about ithere.

You will work in this team

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is one of the Faculty of Sciences largest institutes. Its approximately 240 scientists and staff members work in 17 research groups that perform excellent research centered on four themes: Neurosciences Cell & Systems Biology Microbiology and Green Life Sciences.

The Plant Hormone Biology group is an international and diverse team of 20 members including post-docs PhD candidates and technicians with expertise in various scientific areas. We use molecular biology microbiology analytical chemistry and biochemistry to study the crosstalk between organisms and how abundance and function of the root microbiota affect plant performance including under a range of stresses. Our research is aimed at improving plant performance and resistance and harnessing the potential of beneficial root microbes in crops for sustainable food production with reduced inputs.

If you feel the profile fits you and you are interested in the job we look forward to receiving your application. We accept applications until and including 16 January 2026. Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted inone single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;

• the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure(for details:national knowledge security guidelines).

If you have any questions or do you require additional information Please contact:

• Lemeng Dong Assistant Professor email address: T: