PhD in Plant Genetic Reprogramming – Wageningen University

Key details

• Host institution: Wageningen University & Research
• Location: Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg, Wageningen, Netherlands
• Application deadline: July 20, 2026

Funding

Not funded by a EU programme

Funding level (from listing): partial or not via EU framework — confirm on the official call.

How to apply

• Apply by email to [email protected] (subject line and attachments per the official instructions).
• Full vacancy text and updates: Euraxess listing.

About the position

We are seeking a motivated PhD candidate to study genetic reprogramming of plant cells, contributing to the sustainable supply of natural products. This position is part of the EU-Horizon funded COCO-AI project, an international collaboration between 3 universities, 4 SMEs, and 2 research organizations across 7 countries.

Research Focus

The research will investigate how transcription factors influence the friability of plant callus lines, a critical but unpredictable property for cell culture establishment. Work will involve Arabidopsis as a model species and cocoa (Theobroma cacao) as a socially and economically important demonstrator species.

Your Duties and Responsibilities

• Create a genetic toolkit to enhance reprogramming in difficult or recalcitrant species
• Generate transcription factor induction and GFP reporter callus lines of Arabidopsis and cocoa
• Perform phenotyping and transcriptomics of callus lines and suspension culture
• Analyze data using bioinformatics and coordinate data exchange
• Write and publish research in leading scientific journals
• Communicate findings through your PhD thesis and broader societal outreach

Working Environment

You will be embedded within the chair of Cell and Developmental Biology, led by Prof. Viola Willemsen, and supervised by Dr. Renze Heidstra. You will work alongside a technician in the Stem Cell Specification and Regeneration team.

About the COCO-AI Project

This EU-Horizon Innovation Actions funded project aims to establish an AI-optimised plant cell culture platform for sustainable, circular production of high-value secondary metabolites. By integrating multi-omics, imaging, and process datasets, AI will accelerate callus line development, reduce suspension line development timelines, and consolidate results into standard operating procedures and a transferable AI agent applicable across species.