Jobs

About us

The VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology (PSB) is a world-leading plant science institute located at the heart of a renowned Plant Biotech campus in Ghent, Belgium. Its mission is to integrate genetics, cell biology, genomics, and bio-computing to unravel plant biological processes and to further translate this knowledge into value for society. Please visit us at www.psb.ugent.be for more information.

The Jenny Russinova lab at PSB focuses on research on brassinosteroid hormones (https://www.russinovalab.be).

About the role

Phytohormones play a central role in regulating cell division and differentiation, shaping the overall course of plant development. Importantly, the synergy and interdependence of hormone signalling pathways are critical for driving cell cycle progression. These coordinated hormonal activities influence not only the rate of cell division but also the duration and dynamics of each phase of the cell cycle. With the advent of advanced technologies, such as single-cell genomics and live-cell imaging, we can now explore hormone regulation at unprecedented single-cell resolution. Using these tools, we have observed dynamic fluctuations in brassinosteroid signalling throughout different stages of the cell cycle (Vukašinović and Hsu et al., 2025, Cell).

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to investigate how hormonal signals are integrated and coordinated to control the plant cell cycle machinery. This project will combine live-cell imaging, phosphoproteomics, and metabolite profiling to unravel the complexity of phytohormonal regulation at the cellular level.

Your profile

Essential

• Master's degree in Plant Biotechnology, Plant Physiology, Biology, Molecular Biology, Physiology, or a related discipline. 
• You are fluent in English (spoken and written).

Desirable but not required

• Experience in work with Arabidopsis, plant development and plant hormone biology

Key personal characteristics

• Highly motivated, hardworking and passionate about driving and performing research and associated laboratory tasks
• You have excellent interpersonal communication skills and strong time-management skills.
• You must be very meticulous, proactive, independent, and self-motivated.
• You are a team player and can take responsibility.
• You are enthusiastic to be part of a dynamic research lab.

Our offer

• A 4-year PhD position through Ghent University
• A working climate in which trust, international collaboration, and commitment are essential
• Access to state-of-the art tools and infrastructure within VIB, an excellence-based research institute
• A stimulating and supportive international research environment.
• Various training opportunities to broaden your expertise and skills

How to apply?

If you are interested in performing high quality science related to plant hormones, please use the online VIB application tool (https://jobs.vib.be/apply/133879).

Make sure your application includes:

• A detailed CV
• A one-page summary of past research activities
• A one-page motivation letter, describing how your expertise and ambitions match the research theme
• The names and contact details of two to three referees.

Applications by email will not be considered.

A first review of applications will start immediately. A short list of applicants will be selected based on the CV and motivation letter. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interviews.

Applications are welcome until the position is filled.

About us

The VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology (PSB) is a world‑leading research center of more than 280 researchers dedicated to cutting‑edge science with a clear mission: combating climate change, fostering sustainable agriculture, and preserving global biodiversity (https://www.psb.ugent.be/). In this respect, an important research topic of the center is the interaction between plants and soil microorganisms. The research line of Hans Motte within the Beeckman lab aims to understand how plants influence nutrient‑competing soil microorganisms.

About the role

We are looking for a motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Researcher to discover and characterize new plant‑based strategies to control nitrogen‑cycle microorganisms, and as such improve plant nitrogen use while reducing nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The successful candidate will contribute to an ongoing project assessing the biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) potential of metabolites across the plant kingdom. This includes the characterization and validation of novel BNI mechanisms through molecular and microbial ecology approaches targeting nitrifier communities, including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics.

Your profile

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A PhD in microbial ecology, environmental microbiology, plant–microbe interactions, biogeochemistry, or related fields.
• Demonstrated expertise in molecular work on nitrifying microorganisms.
• Strong experience with metagenomics and microbial community profiling.
• Experience - or strong interest - in working with biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs) and plant–soil interaction experiments.
• Experience with LC–MS–based metabolomics is a plus.

Our offer

• A full‑time 3-year postdoctoral position with competitive salary
• A stimulating research environment with state‑of‑the‑art facilities, personal career assistance, and high-level training courses.

The position is immediately available and will remain open until filled.

How to apply?

Apply online via the VIB career portal (https://jobs.vib.be/apply/133812). Please make sure your application includes your CV, a cover letter describing your motivation and your qualifications, and contact information of two references. 

About us

The VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology (PSB, www.psb.vib-ugent.be) is a world-leading plant science institute with the mission to unravel the biology of plants and use the insights gained to improve the sustainability of agriculture and the climate change resilience of crops. The Maere lab at PSB (http://www.maerelab.be) is active in the fields of computational biology, evolutionary genomics and plant systems biology. Current research topics include developing a single-plant omics strategy to unravel the molecular wiring of plant phenotypes, studying dosage balance-sensitive genes in plants, and modeling the evolution of transcriptional systems in silico.

We are currently looking for a talented postdoc to join our team in the context of a project funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), in which we will model the effects of whole-genome duplication on the evolution of transcriptional systems.

Project description

Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have been found all over the plant kingdom, as well as e.g. in yeast and animal lineages. WGDs have been associated with increased speciation, adaptation to changed environments, domestication of plants and yeasts and the origin or elaboration of evolutionary novelties. In the context of ongoing climate change, WGDs may be a crucial mechanism to help plants and other organisms adapt. However, the evidence supporting these hypotheses is mostly circumstantial, and the molecular mechanisms by which WGD might influence the adaptability and evolvability of organisms remain understudied. The effects of WGD on the evolution of molecular systems have until now only been studied with highly abstracted models. A more detailed modeling approach, inspired on the engineering-type approaches used in molecular systems biology, is needed to get mechanistic insight into the impact of WGDs on the evolution of molecular systems. In this project, we will use a mechanistic, sequence-based genotype-phenotype mapping model in combination with population-based evolutionary simulations to study the evolution of transcriptional systems after WGD. We will in particular study whether and under which circumstances polyploids exhibit a short-term adaptive advantage compared to their diploid progenitors, and whether and how WGD increases long-term evolvability. Based on our simulation results, we will dissect which molecular and evolutionary mechanisms influence the adaptability and evolvability of diploids and polyploids.

Your profile 

• You have a PhD in Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, (Bio)Engineering, Mathematics or Physics.
• You have expertise in dynamical systems modeling (ODEs) and machine learning and very strong programming skills (Java, Python).
• A background in evolutionary genomics research is a strong plus, as is previous experience in the genome duplication research field.
• You have an outstanding publication record in peer-reviewed international journals.
• You are fluent in English (spoken and written).
• You are meticulous, well-organized, responsible and self-critical.
• You have a passion for science and you can think outside the box.

Our offer

• A 4-year postdoc position with an attractive salary.
• An exciting work environment in a top research institute.
• The opportunity to be part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary and international team.
• A challenging fundamental research project.
• Ample opportunity to learn new skills.

How to apply

Please apply via the VIB online career portal (https://jobs.vib.be/apply/133506) and include a detailed CV, a letter of motivation and the contact details of two referees. 

Applications are accepted until the position is filled. 

For more information, contact Steven Maere (steven.maere@psb.vib-ugent.be).