Postdoctoral Researcher in Eco-evolutionary Microbiome Research and Thermobiology

Subject Description

The position is part of the research project “From Guts to Growth: Unravelling the Gut Microbiome’s Role in Ontogenetic Trajectories toward Climate Stress Resilience” (HOTGUT). The project investigates how environmental stress, the gut microbiome, and the host organism's physiology interact during early development and how this affects growth, metabolism, temperature regulation, and resilience to climate-related extreme heat. The research is conducted on wild great tits (*Parus major*) and combines controlled field experiments with laboratory-based microbiology, physiological measurements, and bioinformatic analyses.

The employee will have a leading operational role in the planning, establishment, coordination, and implementation of the project's research activities. These include experiments on thermal and hormonal stress early in life, as well as microbiome function and transmission. The position therefore requires an independent researcher who is motivated by combining fieldwork and experimental manipulation studies with laboratory analyses and data analysis.

Tasks

The main task is to conduct and coordinate the research within HOTGUT in close collaboration with the project leader and partners. The tasks include:

• Planning, establishing, coordinating, and conducting experimental field studies.
• Collecting and processing biological samples, including fecal, oral, cloacal, blood, and environmental samples, as well as contributing to the development of laboratory protocols for microbiome and physiological analyses.

• Performing microbiological laboratory work focusing on the microbiome, including DNA extraction, library preparation, quality control, and preparations for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.
• Developing, maintaining, and applying reproducible bioinformatic and statistical workflows.

• Contributing to data analyses, scientific publications, conference presentations, management of data and code, open research methods, and communication of results to scientific and broader audiences.

Eligibility

To be eligible for employment as a postdoc, the applicant must have obtained a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree assessed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree, within the subject area of the employment, and must have obtained it no more than three years before the date of the employment decision. If there are special reasons, the doctoral degree may have been obtained earlier.

Assessment Criteria

This is a merit-based position primarily focused on research. The employment is intended as an initial career step, and the assessment of applicants will primarily be based on their scientific merits and potential as researchers. Special emphasis will be placed on scientific ability within the subject area.

When hiring a postdoc, the following shall constitute the basis for assessment:

• Good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research.
• Pedagogical ability.

Qualification Requirements

For the position, the following are required:

• A doctoral degree in evolutionary ecology, ecological physiology, microbiology, bioinformatics, ornithology, or another area relevant to the employment.
• Good bioinformatic knowledge and experience in reproducible analysis of data from amplicon sequencing.

• Good quantitative knowledge, including advanced statistical analysis in R and experience with hierarchical mixed models as well as multivariate models.
• Very good ability to express oneself orally and in writing in English.

• A valid driver's license for a passenger car to be able to conduct fieldwork.

Assessment Criteria and Other Merits

The following qualifications are meritorious:

• Experience working with wild birds, especially cavity-nesting passerines, including bird handling, ringing, nest monitoring, blood sampling, or other relevant field methods.

• Experience with thermophysiological methods such as respirometry and measurement of body temperature.
• Experience with endocrine analyses, oxidative stress analyses, metabolomics, or other molecular and physiological analyses relevant to the project.

Special emphasis will be placed on scientific maturity, independence, thorough and controlled working methods, problem-solving skills, and the ability to take responsibility for the practical implementation of the research program.

Consideration will also be given to how the applicant's competence complements the project group and strengthens the research at the interface of evolutionary ecology, microbiology, and conservation physiology.

Terms of Employment

The employment is a fixed-term position as a postdoc on a full-time basis for 2 years, with commencement on March 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is located at the Department of Biology, Lund University. The employment is limited in time according to the agreement, “Agreement on fixed-term employment as a postdoc,” between the parties of the labor market dated 2022-02-01 (Arbetsgivarverket, OFR:s, and Saco-S).

Fieldwork will mainly be conducted during the birds' breeding season and may require flexible working hours during intensive experimental periods.

Contact Information

Dr Katharina Ruthsatz - project leader: katharina.ruthsatz@biol.lu.se

Dr Andreas Nord - andreas.nord@biol.lu.se, +46 704 953 262

Application Instructions

The application must be written in English and compiled into a single PDF file containing:

• A personal letter describing the applicant's motivation and suitability for the position,
• A curriculum vitae, including a full publication list and details of relevant technical experience as well as experience in fieldwork, laboratory work, bioinformatics, teaching, and supervision,

• A short description of previous research and how the applicant would contribute to the implementation of HOTGUT (maximum one page),
• Contact details for at least two academic referees, and

• A copy of the doctoral degree certificate and other certificates or documents that the applicant wishes to invoke.

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