Research Technician MALDI-TOF - Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute - Utrecht

Join the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute as a Research Technician

The Westerdijk Institute is seeking a full-time Research Technician to support a European-funded research project within the Molecular Medical Mycology laboratory. The project focuses on building a MALDI-TOF reference spectra library for filamentous fungi and yeasts and exploring its application in detecting antifungal resistance and identifying outbreak-associated strains.

What you will be doing

• Culturing fungal and yeast strains
• Extracting proteins and generating MALDI-TOF spectra and MSPs
• Expanding and curating fungal spectral databases
• Performing DNA extraction and barcode sequencing
• Conducting species verification through sequence analysis
• Maintaining accurate data records and adhering to certified protocols

What you will be contributing

• BSc degree or technical school training in microbiology, biotechnology, or related fields
• Experience in fungal culturing, protein and DNA isolation, MALDI-TOF identification, PCR, and electrophoresis
• Proficiency with software tools such as Geneious, BioEdit, MEGA, Sequencher, Word, Excel, Photoshop
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow protocols accurately
• Effective communication skills in English; basic Dutch proficiency is a plus
• Ability to troubleshoot, multitask, and meet deadlines independently and as part of a team
• Experience in medical mycology, antifungal resistance, or long-read sequencing (e.g., Nanopore) is beneficial

About the Westerdijk Institute

The Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute is a research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences located at Utrecht Science Park. Our researchers study biodiversity across the entire spectrum of the fungal kingdom. They develop and use a wide range of techniques to map the biology, ecology, and genetic information of fungi.

With a unique collection of more than 100,000 living fungal strains, yeasts and bacteria, we are at the forefront of mycological research worldwide. We are a center of expertise for mycology and contribute to solving socially relevant issues in the areas of health, agriculture and industry.

Our relatively small, internationally diverse institute has 50 employees and a similar number of guest researchers.

Additional information is available on our website: www.wi.knaw.nl.

Terms of employment

Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 2,899 and the maximum salary is 3,809 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 7 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion

The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.