Museum Assistant in marine sponges barcoding

Project Description

The SponBIODIV project is an EU-funded international consortium aimed at establishing fundamental knowledge of diversity and distribution and delivering tools to improve the management and conservation of sponges in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, at the gene and species level as well as their habitats. The project is anchored in the establishment of a trans-European and pan-Atlantic network of research organizations that will collaborate with key stakeholders to support evidence-based policy for the management, conservation, and restoration of marine biodiversity, from coastal areas to deep-sea ecosystems. One of the SponBIODIV goals at Uppsala universitet is to identify hotspots for bio- and phylodiversity in European waters, focusing on several case study areas, one of which is the Norwegian coast.

Tasks

The Museum Assistant will produce DNA barcodes (28S, COI, 18S) from a large sponge collection from Norway collected during the Polarstern ARK XII 2007 expedition, which is stored at Evolutionsmuseet, Uppsala universitet. These barcodes will be used by a postdoc to assist with species identification and for sponge systematics and sponge community studies. The applicant is expected to drive the molecular work of barcoding (subsampling, DNA extraction, PCR, which is sent for sequencing). Some processing of samples and registration of the sponge collections is also expected.

Qualification Requirements

A Master's degree in systematics or biodiversity, or similar, or a foreign degree equivalent to a Master's degree. The candidate may be in the process of completing a Master's degree at the time of application, but the Master's thesis must be at least submitted. The project requires good experience in a molecular laboratory and DNA barcoding. Previous knowledge in sponge systematics and sponge DNA barcoding is meritorious. The candidate is expected to be able to work independently and take initiative, as well as collaborate with colleagues both within and outside the research group. The position is part of an international context, so good oral and written communication skills in English are a prerequisite. Finally, significant weight will be placed on personal suitability such as; analytical and organizational ability, personal maturity, ability to collaborate with others, take initiative, and show good judgment.

About the Employment

The employment is fixed-term for 6 months according to the central collective agreement. The extent of employment is 100 %. Start date by agreement. Location: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: Docent Paco Cárdenas, paco.cardenas@em.uu.se. Please submit your application no later than September 30, 2026, UFV-PA 2026/2700

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The employment may be subject to security clearance. In the case of security clearance, approval of the applicant is a prerequisite for employment.

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Applications are received in Uppsala universitet's recruitment system.

Trade union representatives: Saco-S - saco-s@uu.se, Seko - seko@uadm.uu.se, ST (OFR/S) - ofr@uu.se