The Symbiosis Evolution Group https://symbio.eko.uj.edu.pl/ at the Institute of Environmental Sciences of Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, a dynamic, collaborative, multi-lingual group that uses high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics to study diversity and evolution of insects and their associated microorganisms, seeks a motivated Ph.D. Candidate. Specifically, we will support an applicant for one of the centrally funded positions within the Ph.D. Program in Biology at Jagiellonian University, interested in researching the patterns of insect diversity and symbiosis, and how they change during the ongoing climate and ecological crisis.
We know that insect communities are changing rapidly and declining in response to anthropogenic pressures. We also know that insects frequently associate with microbes, forming different types of symbiotic associations that often play critical roles in insect biology. However, our understanding of the microbiome abundance and diversity patterns across insects, factors that drive these patterns, and the role of the microbiome in insect response and adaptation to the ecological challenges of the Anthropocene remain limited. The proposed project will use high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic approaches to address questions of how insect diversity and their microbiomes change across space and time, especially across gradients relevant to anthropogenic change. The Ph.D. Student will develop their research questions using extensive collections of diverse insects from Sweden, Poland, Madagascar, or Greenland. Depending on skills and interests, they will have an opportunity to participate in international fieldwork, work with collected insects, conduct laboratory experiments, molecular work (automated DNA extraction, next-generation sequencing library preparation), analyses of microbiome diversity data, comparative genomics, and advanced microscopy. The available samples, expertise, research funding, and collaborations offer great potential for motivated students to explore their own ideas and evolutionary questions related to insect diversity and symbiosis, as well as to acquire cutting-edge research skills.
The successful candidate will have an M.Sc. degree in a relevant field by September 2021; a demonstrated interest in Evolution, Entomology, Microbiology, and/or Genomics; experience with, or a keen interest in learning, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology; and strong English language, communication, and organizational skills. Previous experience with insect diversity, ecology, evolution and symbioses, molecular biology, microbiome surveys, phylogenomics and/or comparative genomics, and willingness to travel is advantageous.
The student will be supported by a four-year tax-free stipend from the Ph.D. Program in Biology at Jagiellonian University, with opportunities for additional research grant funding. The official start date of the Ph.D. Program is on 1st October 2021.
The application deadline to the Ph.D. Program through the University system is 8th June 2021, but the applicant will need to be selected from among the interested candidates beforehand. Therefore, the interested applicants are asked to send a letter explaining their experience and interest in the project, a CV, and the details of two references to Monika Prus ([Email Address Removed]), as soon as possible. For informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Piotr Łukasik ([Email Address Removed]). For more details about the Ph.D. Program in Biology at Jagiellonian University, check https://wb.uj.edu.pl/ksztalcenie/szkola-doktorska/phd-programme-in-biology.
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