PostDoc Foliar Systemic Messengers for Microbiome and Root Functionality

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs. Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting. From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland.

Health Promotion Switzerland recognizes Syngenta's commitment to the health and well-being of its employees and awards the "Friendly Work Space" label to all its Swiss sites. At Syngenta, employee health and well-being are key to the company.

Role Purpose

• Design and execute a research project to investigate how foliar applied chemical signals can influence below-ground functionality in the root and rhizosphere.
• Devise chemical-microbial ecological approaches to effectively explore this new concept, collaborating with other teams to embrace meta-omics approaches and unveil possible modes of activity of for such foliar systemic messengers.
• Collaborate with colleagues from PSH Lead generation and biocontrol research to identify potential business-relevant applications of the research and to prototype innovative concepts in an agile manner.
• Act as a soil expert in the research community, supporting the activities of the Soil Health Research Center and engaging with the PSH Lead Generation and Biocontrol Research teams.

Accountabilities

• To generate hypotheses and identify putative and/or speculative foliar-applied systemic messengers through literature searching.
• To design and execute critical controlled experiments to evaluate putative and/or speculative foliar-applied systemic messengers leading to functional changes in the crop root and/or the associated rhizospheric microbiomes;
• To collaborate with analytical platform colleagues to generate and interpret targeted and untargeted metabolic analyses;
• To coordinate soil metabarcoding activities and interpretation of the results from taxonomic and functional standpoints;
• To work closely with members of the Soil Health Research Center and deploy valuable biochemical or other functional assays with soil health relevance (i.e., nutrient assimilation, crop resilience to drought or other abiotic stresses, and/or promoting beneficial symbiosis);
• To communicate results and project learnings with relevant colleagues and identify translational opportunities to address the critical needs of our customers;
• To test most promising leads in semi-field conditions in relevant agronomical scenarios.

• Metabolomics/microbiome expertise, experience in study design and implementation of plant/soil metabolomic investigations, particularly around root exudates
• Familiarity with the major approaches to study behavior of chemicals in soil as transport and transformation processes
• Familiarity with below-ground plant nutrition processes and root functionality
• Familiarity with microbial ecology investigations
• Proven skills to work at different investigation scales from lab to field
• Familiarity with a wide range of analytical MS equipment
• Solid data analysis experience such as advanced multivariate models, multidimensional data exploration, data visualization, and metabolomic data pre-processing

We offer a variety of financial and non-financial benefits including:

• We offer a position which contributes to valuable and impactful work in a stimulating and international environment
• A superb working environment with an open culture and diverse workforce where new ideas are always welcome
• The opportunity to work with and learn from highly qualified and experienced employees and gain scientific and technical excellence
• Learning culture (Together we Grow) and wide range of training options
• You will profit from a competitive pension fund plan, attractive bonus system, onsite doctor, fitness room, canteen, and other benefits (Family friendly initiatives, Child and Family allowance…)

Please send your complete application with CV, motivation letter, diploma, research summary and work certificates (if applicable).

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.