Technician Analytical Chemistry GC/LC-MS

The Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is located at the vibrant Amsterdam Science Park. SILS is one of eight institutes of the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Science (FNWI). With around 240 employees, SILS carries out internationally high-quality life science research and provides education within various university programs. This is done in close cooperation with the medical, biotech, chemical, flavour, food & agri, and high-tech industries, and revolves around 4 main themes, Cell & Systems biology, Neurosciences, Microbiology and Green Life Sciences.

The mission of the Plant Physiology group is to elucidate signal-transduction pathways that are employed in a plant’s biotic interaction with the environment, with a focus on the role of plant metabolites. With an omics toolbox we identify metabolites but also genes and proteins in plants and insects that are important for the interactions between the two organisms. Our research is done by a multidisciplinary team of international researchers, PhD candidates and technicians with expertise in analytical chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology. We often collaborate with other departments in the institute and with external partners, such as universities and the (plant-breeding) industry.

To strengthen support of the Plant Physiology team we are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated “Technician Analytical Chemistry GC- and LC-MS” who will collaborate with and support researchers in the isolation and quantitative analysis of plant metabolites and other signaling compounds such as hormones, using LC/GC-MS.

You will contribute to the development and refinement of methods for these analyses (0.6 FTE). As part of your work, you will also contribute to maintaining the institute's Mass Spectrometry Core Facility (0.2 FTE – every Monday) by working as part of the Mass Spectrometry of Biomolecules team to maintain the various analytical platforms. This core facility provides laboratory space, mass spectrometry services, and data analysis infrastructure to the SILS institute.

You are expected

• to perform sample preparations, measurements, and data analysis tasks for very diverse projects for (un)targeted metabolomics;
• to interact with students (BSc and MSc), scientists (PhD and Post-Doc) at varying knowledge levels of

mass spectrometry-based -omics;

• to be involved in teaching of practical courses, as well as on occasion participate in the supervision of internship students in

the lab;

• to be involved in developing and applying new sample preparation techniques, LC/GC-MS analysis approaches

for analysing small molecules;

• to cary out general tasks required for an operational lab, such as ordering and organising chemicals and equipment;
• to contribute to the maintenance and monitor performance of the institute’s LC/GC-MS platforms, core facility laboratory and

data analysis infrastructure in collaboration with Mass Spectrometry of Biomolecules (0.2 FTE).