Postdoctoral researcher - Mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions under drought stress

Your job

Are you interested in research at the molecular level that contributes to understanding whole plant performance and growth under stress? Will you investigate how plants integrate biotic and abiotic signals to optimize their performance in a complex environment? Are you motivated to do research and contribute to teaching and mentoring in a diverse team of scientists? Then we are looking for you!

We are looking for a talented Postdoctoral researcher in the field of plant-microbiome interactions who wants to unravel how beneficial microbes can reduce drought stress in crops.

You will study rhizobacteria for their stress-protective properties against drought in tomatoes, aiming to identify beneficial bacteria, the molecular mechanisms, and the signalling pathways underlying these interactions. You will perform in-depth microbiome, transcriptome, and metabolome studies to discover genes and processes crucial for plants to maximise profitable functions from their microbiome and help the plant perform better under environmental stresses.

At the Laboratory of Plant Physiology (PPH), we study plant responses to their environment. We investigate how stress tolerance and plant performance are guided by underlying molecular, cellular, and physiological processes. Within our abiotic stress research, we focus on the responses of plants to drought and are looking for a post-doctoral researcher to strengthen our team. The project will be part of the 'Gravitational research' program MiCRop: Harnessing the second genome of plants via microbial imprinting for crop resilience, which is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). You will be embedded in a group of international scientists and collaborate with colleagues from both within and outside Wageningen University & Research.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Designing and executing experiments with plants, microbes, CRISPR/Cas9 mutants and drought stress physiological approaches
• Manipulation of the soil microbiome using synthetic microbial communities
• Supervision of MSc and BSc students
• Writing and presenting research at internationally renowned conferences/journals

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Laboratory of Plant Physiology (https://www.wur.nl/en/research-results/chair-groups/plant-sciences/laboratory-of-plant-physiology.htm). You will be supervised by Dr. Rumyana Karlova.  Your project is embedded in the MiCRop Consortium programme on microbial imprinting of crop resilience to (a)biotic stresses (https://www.microp.org). Within MiCRop, you will receive training and scientific exposure on plant-microbiome interactions and will regularly meet and collaborate with junior and senior scientists from six universities and institutes in the Netherlands.

Your qualities

For this project, we are looking for a highly motivated and skilled �Postdoctoral researcher in the field of drought-plant-microbiome interactions.

You have or are:

• You have obtained a PhD in Plant Science, with a focus on plant molecular biology/physiology.
• You have a publication record that shows you can make original and significant contributions to your field.
• You work in a structured and focused way, and you have good writing and presentation skills
• You have experience in taking responsibility for research project organisation and progress.
• Experience with molecular techniques and complex data sets analyses involving metagenomics, transcriptomics and/or metabolomics
• You are a creative and enthusiastic team player

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here

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; 
• 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. 

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of € 3.707,-  for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).As for your contract, we initially offer a two-year contract that can be extended for one more year on good performance. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this. 

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere. 

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 18th consecutive time. 

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center. This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about the contents of this position, please contact Dr. Rumyana Karlova, Assistant Professor, rumyana.karlova@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact vacaturemeldingen.psg@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. Applications via e-mail will not be considered. 
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 26 May 2025. We will schedule the first job interviews end May/beginning of June. 

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

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 the video below to get an idea of our green campus!


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.