Are you passionate about the future of sustainable food production and eager to contribute to the fast-developing field of cellular agriculture? We are seeking a mission-driven individual to join our team as a Postdoctoral Researcher, focusing on cell line development for seafood.
With the world’s population predicted to surpass nine billion by 2050, substantial challenges emerge regarding food production and security. Traditional practices such as livestock farming and fishing are deemed unsustainable due to their resource-intensive nature and adverse environmental effects. Therefore, there is an ever-growing need for innovative and sustainable food production technologies. Cultivated meat and seafood are an emerging technology where meat or seafood are produced using animal cell culture. Despite significant advances in the field, several key technical obstacles remain to be addressed before this technology is viable at a commercial scale. One such obstacle is the development and characterization of robust and reliable cell lines.
As a core member of our team, you will contribute to the development, optimization, and characterization of cell lines from marine and aquatic species, working toward scalable, process-ready cell lines for cultivated seafood applications. Beyond the bench, you will take ownership of building part of the methodological backbone of our lab by establishing SOPs and best practices in:
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transcriptomics - designing and executing RNA-seq workflows to characterize cell identity, differentiation, and responses to culture conditions;
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flow cytometry - implementing and standardizing protocols for cell phenotyping and sorting;
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bioinformatics - developing and running computational pipelines for transcriptomic and multi-omics data analysis and interpretation.
Within the scope of the project, you will have the freedom to propose and drive the direction of the project. In addition, you will have opportunities to grow beyond your project, such as supervising PhD, MSc, and BSc students, engaging with grant writing and funding acquisition, and broadening your technical skills.
We are committed to supporting your long-term development, whether your ambitions lie in academia or industry, and career conversations are very much part of the culture in the group. We are a friendly, collaborative group, and we are looking for someone who combines a strong scientific drive with good communication and project management skills. You will be joining a highly dynamic and diverse group with wide-ranging interests in biotechnology.
Your duties and responsibilities include:
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cell isolation, cell culture optimization, and cell line development;
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development and implementation of methodologies on transcriptomics, flow cytometry and/or bioinformatics;
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supervision of PhDs and Master Students.
You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Bioprocess Engineering, and member of the Cellular Agriculture team, which is led by Prof. Rene Wijffels.
Bioprocess Engineering teaches and develops innovative bio-based processes. We work on a sustainable and healthy future by engineering efficient bioprocesses for high quality products. We study and develop photoautotrophic and heterotrophic production systems for biobased products, as well as high-quality processes for the production of biopharmaceuticals. The group offers expertise in reactor engineering, down-stream processing and metabolic engineering. Our research aims at development of the scientific field as well as application in typical Wageningen themes such as circular processes, food and environmental sciences.
You are curious and passionate about cellular agriculture, possess great problem-solving and analytical skills, and are highly motivated to contribute to the development of a safe and secure food system.
You also possess:
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a PhD in Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, or related fields (essential);
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strong background in animal cell culture development and optimization (essential);
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experience in relevant techniques such as microscopy and/or transcriptomics (essential);
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strong collaboration, communication, project management skills and eagerness to supervise PhDs and Master Students;
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curiosity and critical thinking skills.
In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1.
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
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sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
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working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
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there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
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a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
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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 € 3.546,- and € 5.538,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended - if possible within (company) organizational circumstances - on good performance, for the duration of the project.
We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.
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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs 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.
For more information about the position, please contact Joao Garcia via email: [email protected].
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Rutger Voorrips, Corporate Recruiter, via email: [email protected].
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 up to and including 20 July 2026. Internal candidates are preferred to apply before 26 June 2026.
Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure
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.
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.
