Technician in plant-fungal symbiosis

Are you experienced in culturing microbes and plants? Do you want to apply advanced microscopy, imaging, and molecular techniques to study fungal-plant interactions? Then this position is for you!

Your function

The Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is accepting applications for a two year fully-funded technician position. In our group, we predominately work with symbiotic fungi grown on sterile root cultures, studying how these mycorrhizal fungi trade nutrients with plants hosts. We use advanced microscopy techniques, high throughput imaging, video/image analysis and molecular quantification techniques to achieve a quantitative understanding of the fungal cellular processes and their interaction with plants. The position will include working in close collaboration with scientists at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and AMOLF Institute, and traveling between these locations.

Your duties

Applications are welcome for a technician (Analist MBO-4 level) with experience in microbiology, plant sciences and/or mycology. Priority will be given to those who have previous experience culturing fungi, plants or bacteria in sterile conditions, and those with experience working with big databases.

  • you will need to work independently to maintain and process a large fungal and root organ collection using sterile microbiological techniques. Ideally, you are comfortable extracting fungal, bacterial and plant tissue for experiments and analysis. This requires precise planning and exceptional organizational skills.
  • you will also be responsible for sample installation, sample maintenance and data collection
  • you will manage large sets of experiments running on imaging robots at the Living Systems Center of AMOLF Institute, located at Amsterdam Science Park
  • besides working routinely with the imaging robots and mycorrhizal samples, there are also possibilities to assist in other ongoing research projects
  • being comfortable working with computers, big datasets and microscopes is very useful

The majority of the activities for this position will take place at AMOLF.

Your profile

  • you are trained as an Analist MBO- 4 level with experience in microbiology or related field
  • you have hands-on experience with:
    • sterile culturing techniques
    • plant growth experiments
    • microscopy
    • data management
  • you are fluent in written and spoken English. The lab communicates predominately in English.
  • work independently and have extraordinary organizational skills
  • you have good social skills, you are pro-active and you are flexible to travel between locations (AMOLF/VU Amsterdam)

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

  • a salary of minimum € 2.899,00 (Scale 7) and maximum € 3.809,00 (Scale 7) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Education/Research Officer 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
  • a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion exists.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • contribution to commuting expenses
  • a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

About us

About A-LIFE

The sub-department  A-LIFE / Systems Ecology offers a stimulating international research environment with world-class academic reputation, and excellent state-of-the-art facilities. Research in the department covers a wide range of fundamental and applied research topics, including stress ecology, species interactions, evolutionary adaptation, symbiotic interactions, climate change and ecosystem functioning. Our strength lies in the ability to integrate studies of adaptive changes across the entire range of biological organizational levels.

Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.

We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.

Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the excellence of our services? In that case, please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter until 23 February 2025. The job interviews are planned for the first week of March.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Your function

The Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is accepting applications for a two year fully-funded technician position. In our group, we predominately work with symbiotic fungi grown on sterile root cultures, studying how these mycorrhizal fungi trade nutrients with plants hosts. We use advanced microscopy techniques, high throughput imaging, video/image analysis and molecular quantification techniques to achieve a quantitative understanding of the fungal cellular processes and their interaction with plants. The position will include working in close collaboration with scientists at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and AMOLF Institute, and traveling between these locations.

Your duties

Applications are welcome for a technician (Analist MBO-4 level) with experience in microbiology, plant sciences and/or mycology. Priority will be given to those who have previous experience culturing fungi, plants or bacteria in sterile conditions, and those with experience working with big databases.

  • you will need to work independently to maintain and process a large fungal and root organ collection using sterile microbiological techniques. Ideally, you are comfortable extracting fungal, bacterial and plant tissue for experiments and analysis. This requires precise planning and exceptional organizational skills.
  • you will also be responsible for sample installation, sample maintenance and data collection
  • you will manage large sets of experiments running on imaging robots at the Living Systems Center of AMOLF Institute, located at Amsterdam Science Park
  • besides working routinely with the imaging robots and mycorrhizal samples, there are also possibilities to assist in other ongoing research projects
  • being comfortable working with computers, big datasets and microscopes is very useful

The majority of the activities for this position will take place at AMOLF.

Your profile

  • you are trained as an Analist MBO- 4 level with experience in microbiology or related field
  • you have hands-on experience with:
    • sterile culturing techniques
    • plant growth experiments
    • microscopy
    • data management
  • you are fluent in written and spoken English. The lab communicates predominately in English.
  • work independently and have extraordinary organizational skills
  • you have good social skills, you are pro-active and you are flexible to travel between locations (AMOLF/VU Amsterdam)

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

  • a salary of minimum € 2.899,00 (Scale 7) and maximum € 3.809,00 (Scale 7) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Education/Research Officer 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
  • a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion exists.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • contribution to commuting expenses
  • a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

About us

About A-LIFE

The sub-department  A-LIFE / Systems Ecology offers a stimulating international research environment with world-class academic reputation, and excellent state-of-the-art facilities. Research in the department covers a wide range of fundamental and applied research topics, including stress ecology, species interactions, evolutionary adaptation, symbiotic interactions, climate change and ecosystem functioning. Our strength lies in the ability to integrate studies of adaptive changes across the entire range of biological organizational levels.

Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.

We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.

Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Questions about the vacancy?

Please contact

Dr. Vasilis Kokkoris

Assistant Professor

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the excellence of our services? In that case, please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter until 23 February 2025. The job interviews are planned for the first week of March.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Questions about the vacancy?

Please contact

Dr. Vasilis Kokkoris

Assistant Professor

Application procedure

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