Internship in Vegetable Germplasm Development

Internship in Vegetable Germplasm Development

Type: 4-6 months – in season (June to December) or off season in discussion

Department: Vegetables and Flowers Seeds Development

Location: Enkhuizen (NL)

Into Action

The germplasm development team is seeking talented and motivated students to join Syngenta as Interns during the summer and autumn field season. Our internships provide an exciting opportunity to work in agricultural research and contribute to develop rich and diverse vegetable varieties pipelines. A typical project is composed of a practical part including phenotypic evaluation of breeding population, followed by the analysis of the data collected and finally reporting about the finding. The crops we work on are lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts.

These are some examples of the projects you can work on as a student are:

-           Trait discovery: Phenotypic protocol development for horticultural traits

-           Germplasm diversity assessment: Evaluation of breeding population or diversity panel for a specific trait, followed by statistical analysis of phenotype and genotypes (genetic mapping/ GWAS)

-           Predictive breeding: Evaluation of the performance of genomic selection training set followed by statistical analysis.

Syngenta is a leading developer and producer of seeds. We bring farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions. Each of our 28,000 employees in more than 90 countries work together to solve one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: growing more food with fewer resources. A diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace environment are enablers of our ambition to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture.

Your Tasks and Responsibilities

• You will perform evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of Phenotypic data to identify valuable traits and patterns.
• You will collaborate with the Breeding and trait discovery teams to develop the evaluation protocol and apply them accurately.
• Furthermore, you will conduct statistical analysis to assess the quality of the data collected and identify correlation with traits or patterns with genotypes.
• You will prepare clear and concise reports summarizing analysis results and recommendations.

Your Profile

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor degree or Master's degree in Plant Breeding (genetics, breeding, statistics), agronomy, biology or horticulture.
• You live in The Netherlands.
• Practical experience with greenhouse and field trials.
• Attention to detail and Data analytical skills.
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively in a team environment.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• You have a driving license. 

What’s in for you

As an intern, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in trial design, physiologic and architectural trait evaluation of breeding population and hybrids, phenotypic and genetic data analysis. You will collaborate with a dynamic and passionate team, contribute to innovative breeding strategies, and broaden your knowledge in agricultural research.

Your Chance!

If you recognize yourself in the profile and would like to apply for this position, please upload your resume and motivation letter at www.syngenta.com. Please indicate your availability in your profile as well. 

If you would like to have more information about this vacancy please contact our recruiter Silvana van den Elzen by phone on + 31 6 82426074 or at Silvana.van_den_elzen@syngenta.com