PhD Candidate in BiologyFaculty/Services: Faculty of Science
Educational level: Master
Function type: PhD position
Closing date: 23.08.2024
Vacancy number: 13201
Do you enjoy using computational approaches to study biological problems? Are you interested in using a combination of machine learning and mechanistic modelling? We invite enthusiastic and dedicated candidates to join our cutting-edge research team as a PhD candidate to work on developing novel methodology to model plant life-history traits such as flowering time, fertility and seed germination. The position is part of the new, interdisciplinary research institute CropXR.
In this project, you will work towards unraveling the regulatory networks controlling reproduction-associated transitions under temperature and drought stress. We will use the main model plant Arabidopsis, because of the wealth of existing information. In four accompanying experimental PhD-projects, data will be obtained on the effects of temperature and drought at the transcriptome and phenotype level. Your task will be to integrate these datasets, using a combination of mechanistic models and machine learning. This will aid selection of signaling processes to be targeted towards improving plant yield under suboptimal conditions. As part of the larger CropXR consortium, you will also collaborate with additional PhD candidates working on methodology for integrating machine learning and mechanistic modeling.
Your work will take place at the Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, one if the research institutes of the University of Amsterdam.
What are you going to do?
You will: an integrated model for plant life-history traits; computational researchers (PhD students working on developing methodology for integrating mechanistic modeling and machine learning); and during CropXR meetings, incorporate feedback and give input to others;
Your experience and profile
or experience in using machine learning on biological data and interested in using differential equations to model biological systems;
Our offer
Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from € 2.770 in the first year to €3.539 (scale P) in the last year. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.
Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:
Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.
About us
The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.
The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is one of the Faculty of Science’s largest institutes. Its approximately 240 scientists and staff members work in 16 research groups that perform excellent research centred on four themes: Neurosciences, Cell & Systems Biology, Microbiology and Green Life Sciences.
With a budget of 96 million Euro over the next decade, CropXR focuses on creating eXtra Resilient (XR), sustainable, and climate-adaptive crops. By combining plant biology, simulation modelling, and artificial intelligence we aim to develop ‘smart breeding and cultivation’ methods to speed up breeding for complex resilience traits in different growing systems for several crops. This collaborative effort involves four universities, numerous companies, and encompasses scientific research, data collection and sharing, education, and practical applications in agriculture and plant breeding.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.
Questions?
Job application If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including 23 August 2024. Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file): • a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.
The interviews will be held beginning of September 2024.
A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure.
Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but do not yet have all the required experience? Then the UvA encourages you to apply anyway.
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