Job Detail

 Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.The Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution (FishEc) located in Kastanienbaum (Lucerne) has a vacancy for aPostdoctoral Fellow in Genomics of Rapid AdaptationThe notion that evolution can be rapid, when adaptive changes and changes in population size occur at the same time scale, raises questions regarding the genetic basis of adaptive traits and the need to understand the temporal dynamics of adaptive evolution, i.e., how frequent adaptive changes are and what influences the rate of change. Experiments with chemostat systems showed that host (Chlorella green algae) and virus rapidly evolved resistance and counter adaptation. The entanglement of the coevolutionary and population size dynamics (eco-evolutionary dynamics) makes this a fascinating study system of rapid evolution. The experiments are replicated and fit-ness of the populations and individual clones at different time can be assessed (see Retel et al. 2019; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0530).



The postdoc project advertised here is aiming to study the underlying genomic changes evolving during experimental host virus coevolution. A goal will be to differentiate between neutral and adaptive changes and characterizing the dynamics of those changes across the time course of the experiments. This will require the development of innovative analysis methods, which make full use of the replicated and innovative experimental setup aiming to disentangle the effect of selection and demography.



The successful candidate will have substantial opportunities to develop his or her own research skills and to assist in the supervision of Bachelors, and Master students. The work will consist of the analysis of next generation whole genome data, the development of bioinformatics pipelines and tools, and the interpretation and publication of the results. This study will be carried out in a close collaboration between the Fish Genomics group at Eawag Kastanienbaum and Lutz Becks and the group of Aquatic Ecology and Evolution at the University of Konstanz.



Applications are sought from individuals with a profound interest in Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics. Applicants should have earned a PhD in a relevant field of evolutionary biology, or bio-informatics. Excellent communication skills in English and skills in team work are essential. The duration of the position will be one years, financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation. We are dedicated to the continue this collaboration and eager to explore opportunities for funding also together with the applicant.



We are a research department of Eawag (Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution) and a division (Aquatic Ecology) of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the University of Bern, and the successful candidate will have a unique possibility to take advantage of both these excellent academic environments. The work place is at Eawag’s Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry in Kastanienbaum, Lucerne, which besides the Fish Ecology and Evolution Department hosts research group from the Department of “Surface Waters – Research & Management” and offers a beautiful workplace at the shores of Lake Lucerne, a friendly international working climate and a strong cross-disciplinary research environment.



Eawag is an equal opportunity employer. Women are explicitly encouraged to apply to increase their share in science and research. Applications should include a concise statement describing your motivation to work on this research project, curriculum vitae, copies of your academic qualifications and names for two references.



Applications must be submitted by 28 February 2021 or until the position is filled. The starting date for the position is anticipated for July 2021 but can be discussed.



For further information, please contact Philine Feulner (philine.feulner@eawag.ch; +41 58 765 21 06).



We look forward to receiving your application. Please send it through this webpage, any other way of applying will not be considered. A click on the button below will take you directly to the application form.



Applications from employment agencies/personnel consultants are not welcome and will not be considered.Apply nowApply with xeebo Print  Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology