Postdoctoral researcher (2 years) within microbial species interactions

Umeå universitet, Teknisk-naturvetenskaplig fakultet

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

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The Department of Chemistry invites applicants for a postdoctoral employment (2 years) within the field of microbiome research. The last day to apply is the 30th August 2024. The employment is full-time with access 1st December 2024 or by agreement.

Project description and working tasks

The species that compose the human gut microbiome are poorly characterized at their molecular level, despite their important roles to keep a healthy state. The presence of pathogenic species or imbalances in the composition of commensal species are associated with disease. The mechanisms by which these species interact with each other are not fully understood – for example, which species support or inhibit the growth of other species and what are the molecular mechanisms behind these growth interactions.

In this project, you will identify which species promote or inhibit the growth of other species by monitoring bacterial growth, and will use proteomics, metabolomics and traditional molecular biology approaches to identify the mechanisms behind some of these interactions. You will also study some of these interactions in the context of a microbial community.

Qualifications

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the appointment decision.

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

Additional requirements are:

A PhD in biochemistry, molecular biology or a related field.
Experience with cultivating and monitoring bacterial growth in anaerobic conditions.
Experience with proteomics, from sample preparation to data analysis.
Experience with biochemistry/molecular biology techniques (e.g., bacterial culture, cloning)
Good oral and written proficiency in English.

Meriting criteria are:

We seek candidates that strive to work independently, take initiative, and cooperate with the research group. You should also have good oral and verbal skills to communicate your science.

Application

A full application should include:

- A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, your scientific interests, your motives for applying, and how you feel you meet the essential and meriting criteria (max 2 pages),
- Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list,
- Copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained,
- Copy of doctoral thesis,

The application must be written in English (preferably) or Swedish. The application is made through our electronic recruitment system. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of this page. The closing date is 30th August 2024.

More information

Further details are provided by André Mateus, andre.mateus@umu.se. https://mateuslab.com/

About us

The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology with approximately 200 employees and strong and expanding research. The Department has four major research areas: Biological Chemistry, IBEAM, Organic Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry. We are also a strong partner in the KBC, Chemical-Biological Center. For more information about working at Umeå University, https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/.