PhD vacancy: environmental adaptation of fish holobionts

Your job

The Aquaculture and Fisheries group (AFI) at Wageningen University is looking for a PhD with a background on (aquaculture) molecular biology, microbiology, animal ecology/physiology or a related field.

Current environmental challenges such as increasing water temperature and other, affect the physiological responses of fish and can thereby influence disease and stress susceptibility. Early-life can offer a window of opportunity to prime fish in order to enhance resistance to disease and stressors, mitigating potential harm by environmental challenges to fish in aquaculture. At the same time, host-associated microbial communities are known to influence host physiology, including immune and stress responses, while within the context of the holobiont, they can contribute to the host adaptation. Key questions remain on the functional role of microbial communities of fish in relation to environmental challenges, how host-microbe relationships can be modulated by early-life priming, and the effects on overall fish fitness and environmental adaptation.

The aim of the PhD project will be to understand the effects of environmental changes, such as temperature, on fish-microbe interactions, and the implications of early life priming on overall fish fitness and adaptation. Your work will be focused on performing mainly molecular, bioinformatic and microbial community analyses to study environment-host-microbe interactions, including metagenomic and transcriptomic profiling, as well as in vitro microbial tests.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Aquaculture and Fisheries, which is led by Prof. Geert Wiegertjes. You will be supervised by Dr Fotini Kokou and prof.dr.ir. Geert Wiegertjes.

Your qualities

As the ideal candidate you:

• have a successfully completed an MSc degree in (aquaculture) molecular biology, microbiology, animal ecology/physiology, or a related field;
• have a strong interest in fish health/physiology and host-microbe interactions;
• have proven experience with molecular tools (i.e. PCR, DNA/RNA extraction) and/or microbiological techniques;
• have good knowledge of advanced statistical analysis (using R preferably);
• have strong interest in fundamental and applied research;
• have good organisational and (written and spoken) communication skills in English, as well as ability to collaborate with others.

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 year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

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.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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 position, please contact Fotini Kokou, Assistant professor, e-mail fotini.kokou@wur.nl .

Questions about the procedure? Contact Noorien Abbas, Recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until 28 April 2025. The first interviews are scheduled between 12 - 16 May 2025.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/7KbQ39hJtK

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

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.