Postdoctoral Researcher in Comparative Analysis Workflows for the Tree of Life at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work in Dr. Robert Thacker’s laboratory as part of a multi-institution award from the National Science Foundation’s Assembling, Visualizing, and Analyzing the Tree of Life (AVAToL) program. The Arbor team is building workflow software for comparative analyses of phylogenetic data at Tree of Life scales (www.arborworkflows.com).
The lab’s current test cases address three fundamental questions in evolutionary biology: 1.) The Evolutionary Process of Spatial Diversification, using species distribution data, phylogenetic relationships, and temporal data to understand processes underlying biogeographic patterns and ecological niche differentiation; 2.) The
Evolution of Symbiotic Communities, using natural evolutionary replicates to understand the tempo and mode of evolution in species interactions and the evolution of phylogenetic community structure; and 3.) The Evolution of Complex Interactions, using novel evolutionary models and analytical algorithms to understand functional
diversification during macroevolution and the evolution of interaction networks.
The successful applicant will contribute to Arbor design and case studies, primarily focusing on the evolution of symbioses, but will also develop her/his own comparative analysis project. This position will be for 1 year initially and is renewable for an additional year depending on applicant contributions to the project. Applicants should
have, or be close to obtaining, a Ph.D. in Biology or a related field, and are expected to have experience with phylogenetic analyses. Preferred applicants will possses a working knowledge of R, Perl, and/or Python.
To apply, email a single PDF document containing a cover letter, CV, statement of research interests, and contact information for at least three references to thacker@uab.edu. The e-mail subject line must include “Postdoctoral Research
Opportunity”. Review of applications will begin on March 1, 2013 and continue until the position is filled.
For more information, contact Bob Thacker (thacker@uab.edu). The UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education provides additional opportunities for training and career development (www.uab.edu/postdocs). UAB performs a pre-employment background investigation on candidates selected for employment.
Junior Research Group Leader in Functional Genetics and Genomics of Fungi
The Senckenberg Society has an internationally known for all fields of Natural History research is seeking a Junior Research Group Leader in Functional Genetics and Genomics of Fungi. This position will exist in the larger framework of a government funded LOEWE excellence cluster in Integrative Fungal Research (IPF) in Frankfurt am Main. The Senckenberg Society runs six research institutes and two museums in Germany and is also custodian of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Messel.
Senckenberg is looking for an individual whose research will be adding significantly to the research aims of the LOEWE excellence cluster “Integrative Fungal Research”. The cluster includes researchers in mycology from Goethe-University Frankfurt a.M., Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Philipps-University Marburg, University Kassel, and the Senckenberg Society.
The aim of the LOEWE excellence cluster will be to synergistically tie together the basic research areas of biodiversity research, molecular genetics, and genomics with translational research in biochemistry and biotechnology. Thus, the research cluster offers an ideal environment for scientific development and profiling.
Salary and benefits are according to a public service position in Germany (TV-H E14). The position is limited to three years, with the possibility of extension for two years in case of positive evaluation. Senckenberg advocates gender equality. Women and other underrepresented groups are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. The possibility of academic development (habilitation, equivalent to assistant/associate professor) will be given.
Apart from the salary of the group leader, a competitive core funding for instrumentation, running costs and personnel will be provided.
Research expertise in the areas of comparative genomics and transcriptomics, annotation of metabolic pathways and regulatory networks, or systems biology of fungi or oomycetes are particularly welcome. Applicants should have an international track record and have demonstrated their ability to develop innovative ideas in their field of
research. Previous experience with independent research is a plus but not mandatory. A record in third party funding acquisition is an advantage; willingness to acquire funding through research proposals is required.
To apply, applicants are encouraged to submit a cover letter, C.V., statement of research achievements, future research proposal (only one page, each), certificates (PhD, MSc, BSc, or similar) and the names of three scientists who could provide references. Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file by
e-Mail to recruiting@senckenberg.de.
Inquiries about the LOEWE excellence cluster Integrative Fungal Research and regarding the position can be made by contacting directly Prof. Dr. Marco Thines (thines@bio.uni-frankfurt.de).
The reference number is: #01-13001. Closing date: January 31, 2013.
Postdoctoral Researcher in Protein Innovation and Evolvability at the University of Arizona, Tucson
The University of Arizona in Tucson is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in protein innovation and evolvability to work with Joanna Masel (http://eebweb.arizona.edu/faculty/masel).
The conventional view is that new proteins evolve from old proteins via gene duplication and divergence. However, this poses a chicken-and-egg problem, implying an ancient “big bang” of protein creation. This project focuses instead on the ongoing de novo evolution of protein-coding genes from previously non-coding sequences. The postdoc will investigate both case studies of this phenomena, and computational predictors of biochemical properties that might facilitate such conversions over evolutionary timescales.
The Masel group’s main research interests are in robustness and evolvability, using a mixture of analytical theory, bioinformatic and simulation approaches. This work is primarily bioinformatic, but opportunities for related, more theoretical projects also exist. Experimental collaborations with structural biologist Matthew Cordes, also at the University of Arizona, are possible as well.
Excellent computer programming skills are essential, with bioinformatics / genomics experience strongly preferred. Experience with (or at least prior interest in) evolutionary biology, protein structure and folding, statistics and other quantitative approaches are all advantages. A start date of August 2013 is preferred but negotiable, and the position is renewable, with funding secured for three years.
Contact Joanna Masel (masel@u.arizona.edu) for more information or to apply.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow on Ancient DNA studies at Tromsø University Museum
The University of Tromsø is seeking a postdoctoral fellow on the project ancient DNA analyses of flora and fauna in NW Europe. The position is attached to Tromsø University Museum, Department of Natural Sciences.
The position is on the project “Ancient DNA of NW Europe reveals responses to climate Change” funded by the Research Council of Norway. The primary objective of the project is to explore the occurrence of boreal species at northern latitudes by ancient DNA analyses. Subgoals are to 1) Confirm the occurrence of trees and other boreal taxa during the LGM period (22,000 -13,000 BP) at Andøya (Parducci et al. Science 2012), 2) Determine the occurrence of boreal species on Svalbard during the Holocene warm period, 3) Evaluate the representation of current surrounding vegetation in modern
lake DNA, 4) Test if pollen may contribute to DNA recovered in ancient soils, and 5) Evaluate implications for inferred species migration rates as well as climate reconstruction.
The following reference number must be quoted in your application: 2012/989. Closing date: January 31, 2013. The starting date is as soon as possible the post is a fixed term of two and a half years.
To learn more, go to: http://www.jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=89577.
For further information, contact Project Leader Professor Inger Greve Alsos (inger.g.alsos@uit.no or + 47 77 62 07 96) or Head of Department of Natural Sciences Karl Frafjord (karl.frafjord@uit.no or +47 77 64 57 25).
Postdoctoral Researcher in the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory at the Max Planck Society
Max Planck Society in Tuebingen, Germany is seeking a postdoctoral research in Dr. Felicity Jones’s Friedrich Miescher Laboratory. The Jones Lab is launching a comprehensive research program to functionally dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive divergence and speciation.
NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate in Experimental Evolution at the University of York
The University of York is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to work on a project using experimental evolution to investigate host-symbiont co-evolution. This project, which is partly funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), combines experimental evolution with whole-genome sequencing to understand how coevolutionary processes vary along the parasitism-mutualism continuum using bacteria-plasmid interactions as a model system.
The postholder will be responsible for the project on a day-to-day basis, performing experimental evolution experiments, a range of phenotypic and molecular analyses and large-scale whole-genome next-generation sequencing.
Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in microbiology, evolutionary biology, experimental evolution, evolutionary genomics, or a related discipline and have an advanced level of practical and theoretical knowledge of evolutionary biology. Candidates with training in experimental evolution or next-generation genomics approaches or bioinformatics are strongly encouraged to apply.
For informal inquiries, contact Professor Michael Brockhurst
(michael.brockhurst@york.ac.uk).
This post is available from February 1, 2013 for a period of up to 1 year.
To apply, go to: https://jobs.york.ac.uk/wd/plsql/wd_portal.show_job?p web_site_id=3885&p_web_page_id=159832
Computational/Analytic Postdoctoral Researchers at the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is seeking two or more Computational/Analytic postdoctoral researchers with experience and strong computational skills in one or more of the following areas: machine learning, computer vision, agent-based simulation, graphical processing unit (GPU) programming, Bayesian statistics and bioinformatics, population genomics, and quantiative genomics. The large multidisciplinary team is supported by an NHGRI Center of Excellence in Genomic Science and multiple NIMH and NSF grants to study genetic variation in population and community contexts.
The postdocs will be jointly advised by Simon Tavaré, Gary Chen, Paul Marjoram and Sergey Nuzhdin, and will closely collaborate with several other faculty and approximately 30 other team members, including computational and experimental scientists.
The successful applicants may need to optimize software, develop machine learning algorithms, develop conceptual or simulation models, and parallelize these on CPUs or GPUs.
The team is part of a program in Molecular and Computational Biology at USC and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, in the heart of Los Angeles, California. To apply, send a statement of interest, CV, and names of referees to Paul Marjoram (pmarjora@usc.edu) and Sergey Nuzhdin (snuzhdin@usc.edu) by February 15, 2013.