Your work will focus on identifying the genes and bioactive metabolites produced by infant gut microbes, and validate their function using in vitro cell cultures and advanced infant GuMI gut microphysiological systems. The position is embedded within The MBMFS Group in the GuMI lab of dr. Jianbo Zhang at the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam (UvA). 

Tasks and responsibilities:

• complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• gain knowledge of the field through literature survey, discussion with team members, and internal lab meetings;
• ​contribute to the design of experiments, perform experiments in the lab and analyze and interpret results of the experiments;
• perform preclinical in vitro experiments;
• take a leading role in writing manuscripts;
• be an active member of the research teams and present your results at (inter)national scientific meetings;
• participate in the Faculty of Science PhD training programme;
• assist in teaching Bachelor and Master’s students;
• co-supervise junior scientists (technicians, MSc/BSc students).

You are excited about science and have a particular interest in and preferably have knowledge of gut anaerobic culturing, bioinformatics, and mass spectrometry data analysis. You like a challenge and you have a problem-solving mindset. You have good statistical skills and experience with analyzing metabolomic and metagenomic sequencing data. You like to work in diverse settings as you have to communicate closely with a diverse team (i.e. microbiologists, data analyst, cell biologists, immunologist, engineers). You are a team player and a nice colleague who enjoys being part of an interdisciplinary team of scientists. Finally, you have good time management skills enabling you to meet the projects’ deadlines for finishing analyses, reports and other deliverables.  

Your experience and profile  

You have/are

• a MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences, Microbiology, or related fields; 
• experience with anaerobic bacterial culturing, mass spectrometry data analysis;
• experience with omics analyses and coding (e.g. python, R);
• experience with bacterial genetic engineering or mammalian cell culture is a plus;
• good project and time management skills enabling you to meet the projects’ deadlines for finishing analyses, reports and other deliverables;  
• good analytical, writing and presenting skills; 
• fluent in English, both written and spoken and the willingness to learn Dutch (in case not Dutch native speaker).

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is 1 November 2025  This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from €3,059 in the first year to €3,881 (scale P) in the last year. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD candidate applicable. 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:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime);
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.