Post-doc position: Seaweed-modified functional compound evaluation for fish health

Your job

Do you want to investigate novel functional ingredients for fish health? Are you interested in the interplay between gut microbiota and fish feed? Then we might have the perfect position for you!

The Aquaculture and Fisheries group (AFI) at Wageningen University is looking for a post-doc to join them in the SBEP (Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership)-funded project ‘Aquafeed Upgraded: Enhancing Immune Function of Fish with Seaweed-modified Functional Compounds (AquaUP)’. As a post-doc, you will experimentally study via in vivo feeding trials the effectiveness of seaweed functional compounds as potential prebiotics for marine and freshwater fish. In particular, the effects of seaweed functional compounds on gut microbiota composition will be studied along with immune-modulating effects.
The project is part of a consortium between NIBIO (coordinators, Norway), NORCE (Norway), UCC and TU Dublin (Ireland), University of Bologna (Italy) and Wageningen University, including various industrial partners. Pursuit of a sustainable aquaculture industry must identify regional and sustainable feed sources that enhance the nutritional value of aquafeed, increase the growth and health of fish while reducing the ecological impact of aquaculture. Seaweed-derived functional compounds have long been utilised in aquafeeds, mainly focusing on their binding properties. The aim of the project is to refine and valorise seaweed to produce seaweed-modified functional ingredients for aquafeeds.

The experimental activities include running feeding trials with fish and doing lab molecular analysis (gene expression, microbiota analysis). The candidate is also expected to prepare the ethical applications for the experiment, and preparation of scientific manuscripts.   

The position duration is for one year (12 months), with extension up to 34 months in total.

You will work here
The research is embedded in the  Aquaculture and Fisheries group (AFI), led by prof.dr.ir. Geert Wiegertjes . You will be supervised by dr. Fotini Kokou and dr.ir. Marit Nederlof .

Your qualities

As the ideal candidate you:

• have a successfully completed PhD degree in aquaculture, biology, veterinary science, animal science or a related field;
• show strong skills in molecular lab analysis and in particular gene expression analysis;
• are experienced in microbiota data handling and statistical analysis;
• are willing to perform feeding trials with fish;
• have excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page .

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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more,  per week;
• 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 December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.226 and € 5.090 for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the 

Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU)

 (scale 10).Initially, we offer you a one-year contract, which will then be extended to 34 months (in total) if there is mutual enthusiasm. Of course, we would be happy to discuss this with you if you have any questions.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

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.
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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, 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 this position, please contact Fotini Kokou or Marit Nederlof at the Aquaculture and Fisheries group by email [email protected] and [email protected] .  

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, recruiter by e-mail [email protected] .

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Please only upload your latest CV and motivation / cover letter. No other documents are required at this stage.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 15  April 2024. We scheduled the first job interviews during the week of April 22-26th 2024. The intended start date will be from 1st  July 2024.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment .

We are

Wageningen University & Research
TThe 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.