PhD in Tomato Resistance Genetics — Wageningen University

Key details

• Host institution: Wageningen University & Research
• Location: Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg, Wageningen, Netherlands
• Application deadline: June 8, 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

Wageningen University & Research invites applications for a PhD position focused on discovering novel tomato genes for durable resistance to leaf mould disease caused by Fulvia fulva. The project aims to develop next-generation predictive breeding strategies through a large public-private partnership with multiple breeding companies.

Project description

Tomato production worldwide is increasingly threatened by leaf mould disease. Current resistance strategies are frequently overcome by pathogen evolution. This PhD project will uncover and characterize novel tomato immune receptors (Cf resistance genes) that recognize fungal effector proteins (Ecps), and contribute to building a predictive framework for durable resistance.

Your duties and responsibilities

You will work closely with a post-doctoral researcher and technicians, operating at the interface of wet-lab biology and computational biology with an emphasis on data-driven discovery. Your tasks include:

• Cloning and functional validation of candidate immune receptors
• Contributing to AI-driven prediction pipelines for receptor–effector interactions
• Experimental validation of computational predictions
• Interfacing with breeding partners to translate findings into applications
• Writing and defending a PhD thesis

Your team

You will work within multidisciplinary teams of the “Breeding for Resistance” group at WUR Plant Breeding and the “Receptor Biology” group at the Laboratory of Phytopathology of WUR, and collaborate with partners from eight breeding companies. Your supervision team includes Prof. Dr. Yuling Bai, Dr. Jaap Wolters, Dr. Anne-marie Wolters (Plant Breeding), and Dr. Matthieu Joosten and Dr. Christiaan Schol (Phytopathology).

About the research groups

Plant Breeding, Wageningen University & Research is a merged unit of Wageningen Research and Wageningen University, comprising around 200 people including MSc and PhD students and guest workers from more than 30 nationalities. The group conducts fundamental, strategic and applied research and provides teaching at BSc, MSc and PhD levels, focusing on the genetic basis of traits for sustainable agri- and horticulture, often in partnership with breeding companies and governments.

Phytopathology, Wageningen University & Research (Laboratory of Phytopathology) has around 40 people including PIs, post-docs, MSc and PhD students and guest workers. The group studies the biology of fungi, oomycetes and bacteria to understand and predict their functioning in agricultural and natural ecosystems, with research topics including molecular plant-pathogen interactions, host recognition and resistance, population genomics, and translation of knowledge to practical applications for farmers and food producers.