Postdoc Seed Desiccation – GreenTE
As part of the GreenTE Gravitation program, we are looking for a talented, motivated, and proactive postdoctoralresearcherwho is interested in unravelling the mechanosensing mechanisms of seed desiccation survival.
Producing dry seeds is vital for plants since it enables them to survive in harsh environmental conditions and it ensures that their species can thrive over time. Extreme loss of water (or desiccation) during seed development or germination is an important factor that affects seed survival, resilience, and storability. However, little is still known about how drying is sensed and integrated into seed developmental programs. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will investigate how mechanical and biochemical signals trigged by drying affect the transcriptome (RNA-seq) and phosphoproteome during seed maturation and germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. Besides designing and conducting experiments, analyzing the results and writing scientific manuscripts, you will have the opportunity to contribute with teaching and supervising MSc and BSc students.
Your qualities:
- You have a recently obtained a PhD degree in plant sciences, with a focus on molecular biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, or related fields,
- You have experience with detailed phenotyping and affinity with precision work in model species, such as molecular biology and microscopy techniques,
- You have interest or affinity with biophysical and/or biochemistry research in plants,
- Experience with seed physiology experiments, phosphoproteomics, transcriptomics, and/or bioinformatics approaches are an advantage,
- Have excellent organizational and writing skills, work independently and reliably, and are proactive and enthusiastic for the project.
You will work at the Seed Resilience Group, led by Dr. Mariana Silva Artur. Our group addresses fundamental questions related to seed survival in the dry state. We are also embedded in the Wageningen Seed Science Centre which is part of the Laboratory of Plant Physiology. This project is part of the GreenTE Gravitation program, a multidisciplinary consortium of 7 Dutch universities who aims at unravelling how plants sense and respond to mechanical stimuli and to develop engineering interventions to improve plant regeneration, seed longevity and defenses against disease. The successful applicant will be an integral member of the GreenTE community, which offers an open, diverse and inspiring environment to engage in multidisciplinary mechanobiology research at the intersection of biology, chemistry and physics, and is expected to participate in GreenTE events, training and collaborations.
For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Mariana Silva Artur ([email protected]). This vacancy is open up to and including September 2, 2024. If you are interested in joining our diverse and interdisciplinary team, please apply please apply online through: www.wur.eu/career
by uploading a motivation letter and CV.