Postdoctoral fellow METAPLANTCODE

Job title:

Postdoctoral fellow METAPLANTCODE

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Job description

Offer DescriptionNaturalis is looking for a postdoc for the METAPLANTCODE project!About Naturalis
Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden is the National Biodiversity Center for biodiversity and systematics. We host over 120 researchers, including 15 academia-embedded professors, 50 PhD students, and 20 postdoctoral fellows. Our programme on research and innovation includes digital-concept and research projects and the large research infrastructures of national (ARISE, eDentity) and pan-European scale (DiSSCo, BGE). With our collection of 43 million specimens, one of the world’s largest natural history collections, and our state-of-the-art research facilities, we offer the (inter)national research infrastructure for species identification and monitoring, transnational and virtual access to collections and experts or training. We present the history of our planet and the diversity of life on Earth through permanent and temporary museum exhibitions, educational programmes, and online presence, with more than 500,000 visitors per year. All in all, a unique combination of science and culture in the Netherlands and elsewhere in the world!Position
We are seeking a postdoc as part of the European METAPLANTCODE Harmonizing plant metabarcoding pipelines in Europe to support monitoring activities. This consortium encompasses partners from 10 European countries. Naturalis receives funding for this project from NWO between April 2024 and March 2027. Currently, two out of five plant species are threatened with extinction, which affects many other organisms. Plant metabarcoding, including analyzing environmental DNA, is currently not standardized, preventing high-throughput large-scale analyses. METAPLANTCODE will harmonize best practices for metabarcoding of plants collected across Europe to accelerate species monitoring and integrate biodiversity data. Existing pipelines for species identification are standardized and linked to reference databases. Best practices on FAIR data publishing will be incorporated in the GBIF and INSDC websites. ELIXIR-compatible DL-models will be implemented in novel tools.The postdoctoral fellow takes in METAPLANTCODE and will lead processing of plant DNA sequence data. The aim is to standardize species identification through links with (inter)national checklists, red lists, floras, and the Catalogue of Life. Literature will be semantically enriched with new entity recognition modules. A newly built interface will link taxonomic names and facilitate conversion. Knowledge transfer to species organizations will occur in workshops. This postdoctoral position will be based in the group.General requirements and skills
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate with a PhD degree in plant biology or a related discipline and expertise in plant identification and species delimitation. You have experience with bio-informatic scripts for analysis of DNA-data and coding. Excellent knowledge of the English language (written and verbal) is required, as well as a scientific and critical attitude, outstanding time management and organisational skills, and the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within the project consortium and the Naturalis research group. Additionally, you have good communication skills and are eager to contribute to knowledge dissemination and outreach activities.We offer
A contract for a period of one year, to be extended until the end of the project (expected April 2027) after a successful evaluation and a monthly salary between € 3,641.- and € 4,731.- gross per month (depending on relevant experience) based on a full-time (36-hour) working week. Other benefits include an allowance for travel expenses, holiday allowance (8%) and year-end bonus (3.4%) – as according to the Dutch Museum CLA. The successful candidate will be employed by Naturalis in Leiden. We provide a vibrant and inspiring working environment with ample support to our scientific staff by our Research Coordination Office and access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, ICT infrastructure, and 43 million natural history objects. At Naturalis, you will get the opportunity to further develop your research career and work together with inspiring colleagues.Procedure
Applicants are invited to submit their application (in one PDF) before March 7 (CET) using the form. This application should include:

• A personal motivation letter (max. 1 page)
• CV (max. 3 pages)
• Names and contact details of two referees

Further information
Please feel free to contact Barbara Gravendeel ( ) with questions about the position. For questions about the procedure of the application, please contact our colleagues from Human Resources ( ).Naturalis endorses the Cultural Diversity Code, promotes gender equality and wants to enhance the diversity of staff members. In the case of equal suitability, preference is given to the candidate who reinforces diversity within the team.Where to apply WebsiteRequirementsAdditional InformationWebsite for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Naturalis Biodiversity Center Country Netherlands City Leiden Postal Code 2333 CR Street Darwinweg GeofieldContact CityLeiden WebsiteStreetDarwinweg 2 Postal Code2333 CRSTATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

Expected salary

€3641 – 4731 per month

Location

Leiden, Zuid-Holland

Job date

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:45:44 GMT

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