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A PhD student position is available in the laboratory of Professor Vaishali Katju in the Evolutionary Biology program at the Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University (Sweden).
The Department of Ecology and Genetics is an international environment with staff and students from all over the world. Our research spans from evolutionary ecology and genetics to studies of ecosystems. For more information, see www.ieg.uu.se.
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Project description
We are seeking a Ph.D. student interested in combining the power of experimental evolution using Caenorhabditis elegans with genetic and high-throughput genomic approaches to investigate fundamental questions in evolution. Our research program is diverse and includes multiple ongoing projects investigating (but not restricted to) (i) the fitness effects and evolutionary dynamics of spontaneous mutations, especially copy-number variants, (ii) the fitness consequences of selfish mitochondria and the genetic basis of mitonuclear adaptation, (iii) genomic conflict and compensatory evolution, and (iv) the genetic basis of adaptation following fitness decline and recovery. The successful candidate will be involved in analyzing both whole-genome sequence and transcriptome datasets of experimentally evolved C. elegans populations but will also have opportunities to design and initiate novel projects of choice that fall within the umbrella theme of our expertise (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xXF3A58AAAAJ&hl=en).
Duties
The position will both involve both wet-lab and computational components. The wet-lab component will involve experimental evolution projects with C. elegans and standard molecular procedures (DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, sequencing, gel electrophoresis, genomic library preparation, among others). Additionally, there is scope for incorporating genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 approaches and employing standard genetic backcrossing techniques. All projects are expected to involve a strong bioinformatic component involving analyses of DNA-Seq and/or RNA-Seq datasets. Training will be provided when necessary.
Qualifications required
To be eligible for a PhD-student position the applicant must hold a Master’s degree in evolutionary biology and well-versed with fundamental principles/theory of population genetics, quantitative genetics, and molecular evolution. Applicants lacking a Master’s degree in evolutionary biology will not be given further consideration. Great emphasis is placed on personal qualities such as planning and organizational skills, strong motivation and ability to problem-solve, strong interpersonal communication skills and an ability to work collectively with other group members while fostering a collaborative work atmosphere. The candidate must possess documented experience and proficiency in both spoken as well as written English.
Qualifications desired
Candidates having experience with evolutional evolution, C. elegans husbandry, molecular biology and bioinformatic/statistical analyses of large data sets will be given preference.
About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date December 1, 2022 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala, Sweden
Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University’s rules and guidelines.
For further information about the position please contact: Dr. Vaishali Katju, telephone: +46 18 471 6468, Vaishali.Katju@ebc.uu.se.
Application
The application should include 1) a letter of intent describing yourself, your research interests and motivation of why you want to do a PhD, and why you are suitable for the position, 2) your CV, 3) a short description of your education, 4) a copy of your master degree, your course grades and a copy of your master thesis and course grades, 5) the names and contact information to at least two reference persons (e-mail address and phone no.), and 6) relevant publications (including the Master’s thesis). The application should be written in English.
You are welcome to submit your application no later than October 27, 2022. UFV-PA 2022/3546.
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Submit your application through Uppsala University’s recruitment system.
Placement: Department of Ecology and Genetics
Type of employment: Full time , Temporary position longer than 6 months
Pay: Fixed salary
Number of positions: 1
Working hours: 100 %
Town: Uppsala
County: Uppsala län
Country: Sweden
Union representative: ST/TCO tco@fackorg.uu.se
Seko Universitetsklubben seko@uadm.uu.se
Saco-rådet saco@uadm.uu.se
Number of reference: UFV-PA 2022/3546
Last application date: 2022-10-27