"Postdoctoral Researcher in Plant-Fungal Interactions (ERC Advanced Grant DIGDEEP)"

Are you passionate about plant–microbe interactions and eager to push the frontiers of biodiversity and disease ecology? We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join our international team on the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant project DIGDEEP. This project investigates how plant diversity shapes the spread and impact of soil-borne diseases, aiming to unravel the mechanisms behind diversity–disease relationships in grassland ecosystems.

As a postdoc in DIGDEEP, you will take the lead on the fungal side of the project, designing and carrying out cutting-edge experiments to explore the complex interplay between plant root systems, pathogenic fungi, and beneficial symbionts. This is an exciting opportunity to combine controlled experiments with molecular tools to address fundamental questions in ecology with real-world relevance for sustainable ecosystems.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading research on plant–fungal interactions, with a focus on soil-borne pathogens
• Designing and performing bioassays to assess susceptibility and competence of diverse plant species to fungal pathogens
• Conducting mesocosm experiments to disentangle the effects of plant species richness and host quality on disease risk
• Applying molecular techniques to quantify fungal abundance and diversity in large-scale biodiversity experiments
• Co-supervising PhD students, particularly supporting them with molecular and fungal expertise
• Leading and supporting the development of scientific papers in relevant peer-review journals

The team: You will be an integral part of the ‘root ecology’ team led by Prof. Dr. Liesje Mommer. In this team, which is embedded in the Forest Ecology and Forest Management group, senior and junior researchers and students collaborate in projects on plant-fungal interactions and root trait ecology. Your work will be supported by the Molecular Ecology team of Prof. Raaijmakers at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO), which is also located on the Wageningen Campus. The ultimate goal of the DIGDEEP project is to deliver fundamental knowledge on diversity-disease relationships in plants to facilitate diversification of cropping systems. Such innovation contributes to developing sustainable agricultural systems, and to goals related to producing healthier food and restoring biodiversity. Therefore, we will also be collaborating and creating knowledge with stakeholders, such as agronomists and breeders.

Requirements: You bring a PhD in plant–microbe interactions, fungal ecology, plant pathology, or a related field; proven experience with plant–fungal bioassays and molecular techniques (e.g., DNA extraction, qPCR, sequencing) applied to microbial communities; skills in designing and executing experiments, especially in ecological contexts; a collaborative and proactive mindset, with the ability to support and guide junior researchers; and excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken).

Conditions of employment: Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms including partially paid parental leave, flexible working hours, focus on vitality, sports facilities, a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%, and an excellent pension scheme. The gross salary is between €3,546 and €5,538 per month for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). The contract is initially for one year, extendable for 2 more years on good performance.