Can advanced analytical chemistry reveal both the risks and benefits of perennial rye?
Perennial rye is emerging as a promising crop for more sustainable grain production, with potential benefits for soil health, climate resilience, and resource efficiency. However, little is known about how perennial growth influences the accumulation of natural toxins and beneficial compounds in grain. This project aims to address these knowledge gaps by comparing perennial and annual rye systems and evaluating their implications for food safety, nutritional quality, and sustainable agriculture.
What will you do?
Using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, your postdoctoral project will investigate the occurrence and structural diversity of natural toxins and other secondary metabolites in perennial and annual rye grain. The results will contribute to a better understanding of the links between crop longevity, soil health, grain quality, and food safety.
Your duties and responsibilities include:
- elucidate structural diversity of natura toxins in perennial ryegrass using high resolution mass spectrometry and computational tools for non-targeted data analysis;
- perform data processing, statistical analysis, and interpretation of complex metabolomics datasets;
- disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, presentations at scientific conferences, and engagement with project partners;
- contribute to project meetings and collaborate with multidisciplinary researchers within the consortium.
You will work here
The project is part of the GoodGrain consortium, coordinated by Aarhus University and funded by Plant2Food awarded to Laura Righetti, which will be executed in the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, which is headed by Prof. Han Zuilhof. You will be supervised by Dr. Laura Righetti.
Requirements
You are a postdoctoral researcher holding a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, with demonstrated expertise in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and experience in metabolomics data analysis. You are scientifically curious, collaborative, and motivated to work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary research environment.
You also possess:
- experience in the analysis and structural elucidation of natural products is preferred;
- excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset;
- experience in supervision of MSc thesis students.
In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1.
Conditions of employment
Fixed-term contract: 1 year.
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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 year-end 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 between € 3.706,- and € 5.760,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended, if possible within (company) organizational circumstances, on good performance, for the duration of the project.
We encourage development and internal mobility within our organization. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.
Employer
Wageningen University & Research
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.
Additional information
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.
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, dual career programs 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.
Join us and come work at WUR
At Wageningen University & Research, you work at improving the quality of life. Together with your colleagues, you seek to answer the challenges within our domain 'healthy food and living environment.'