Researcher in Ecology

As a researcher with a PhD, do you want to pursue your passion for food microbiology to safely design plant-based foods?

We are looking for an ambitious postdoctoral researcher with great interests in microbial ecology of plant-based foods and quantitative microbiology. Our project GRASP – Genomic-driven Risk ASsessment of Plant-based foods – aims to predict behaviour of microbial sporeforming contaminants in plant-based foods to contribute to more sustainable food chains. The sporeforming pathogens Bacillus cereus and Clostridium botulinum harbor genetically different subgroups with very distinct growth behavior and heat resistance. Critical knowledge gaps exist on the behavior of these subgroups in plant-based foods, while this is key to develop strategies to control these pathogenic contaminants. Hereby GRASP aims to investigate prevalence, genetic diversity and behaviour of these sporeforming pathogens in plant-based foods. This knowledge will be used to develop a genomic-driven risk assessment that will be integrated into a validated user-friendly model tool. The project is a collaboration with the Danish Technical University (DTU). The project at Wageningen focusses on Bacillus cereus and the DTU project partner focusses on the sporeformer Clostridium botulinum. The project consortium involves multiple industry partners that will share microbial isolates from plant-based ingredients and is funded by Plant2Food (Novo Nordisk Foundation).

As postdoctoral researcher you will:

• use molecular techniques to genetically characterize strains per Bacillus cereus’ subgroups;
• quantify the heat resistance, germination and outgrowth kinetics of Bacillus cereus. You will closely work together with the DTU regarding experimental work on germination kinetics;
• use experimental and literature data to develop predictive models for inactivation, germination and outgrowth of Bacillus cereus’ subgroups in different plant-based dairy analogues;
• evaluate strategies for control of microbiological risks based on quantitative microbiological risk assessments;
• publish results and findings in peer reviewed journals.

Your qualities

• you are an ambitious and highly motivated scientist;
• you have an excellent academic (PhD) record in food microbiology or food sciences, including experimental experience;
• you have high affinity with predictive modelling and quantitative microbiological risk assessments experience is considered an advantage;
• you are a creative researcher, being independent yet at the same time being a team player;
• you have excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Heidy den Besten, Professor, telephone 0317-483213, or by e-mail at: heidy.denbesten@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter, by e-mail at: rutger.voorrips@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 14^th of October 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in November 2024.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using this link.

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.