Are you interested in working with genomics, supported by competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Do you want an employer that invests in sustainable employee development and offers secure, beneficial working conditions? Welcome to apply for a researcher position at Uppsala University.
The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology is organized into seven research programs focusing on different areas of cell and molecular biology: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Evolution, Molecular Systems Biology, and Structural Biology. While our scientific foundation lies in biology, our research also overlaps with areas such as medicine, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, and physics. We have over 200 employees and approximately 60 doctoral students. Learn more about the department at https://icm.uu.se
This research position is within the Molecular Evolution research group and will be supervised by Courtney Stairs. Every ecosystem on our planet consists of a complex community of organisms. Ecosystem function is often dependent on interactions - or symbioses - between community members. In the microbial world, symbiotic interactions are often based on syntrophy (a type of mutualistic symbiosis where nutrients are exchanged between organisms to enable metabolic division of labor). This is common among prokaryotes in oxygen-poor environments and drives vital global biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Whether similar roles can be attributed to protists living in these environments remains unclear due to our limited understanding of anaerobic eukaryotes' biology, syntrophic potential, and metabolism.
Job Responsibilities
The work focuses on developing genomic tools to study individual protist cells. Planned methods include culturing anaerobic protists, bioinformatic analysis, long-read sequencing with ONT, environmental sampling, 18S metabarcoding, metagenomics, and phylogenetic analysis.
Qualification Requirements
- PhD in biology with a focus on genomics
- Excellent English language skills, both spoken and written
- Documented experience with whole genome sequencing of non-model organisms, including eukaryotic cell enrichment, high molecular weight DNA extraction, and DNA library preparation
- Experience with long-read sequencing (ONT) for whole genome and metagenome research, including basecalling and data quality evaluation
- Documented experience with evidence-based de novo genome annotation for non-model organisms, integrating transcriptome and protein homology evidence
- Proficiency in Linux-based environments and high-performance computing clusters, with strong skills in Bash/awk, Python, and R, and experience with workflow development (Snakemake) and collaborative code management via GitHub for reproducible and shareable research
- Experience working under anaerobic conditions, including handling prokaryotes and protists
- Strong publication record in peer-reviewed scientific journals
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
- Ability to organize resources, plan and develop work activities, and consistently meet deadlines
- Ability to communicate scientific results and knowledge to non-specialists and students
Desirable/Additional Qualifications
- Documented experience in comparative genomics of cellular characteristics
- Documented experience designing reference-free evaluation frameworks to assess genome assembly completeness, accuracy, and annotation quality
- Experience with environmental sampling, 18S metabarcoding, and metagenomics analyses
Application
Applications can be submitted in Swedish/English and should include:
- CV including contact information for at least two references and publication list (max 5 pages)
- Copy of doctoral degree certificate and any other certificates/transcripts you wish to reference
About the Position
The position is permanent (probationary period may apply). Full-time employment. Start date: March 1, 2026, or by agreement. Location: Uppsala
Contact for inquiries: Courtney Stairs
[email protected]
In this recruitment, we have replaced the traditional cover letter with questions you will answer with your application. These responses will be used as part of the selection process.
Applications must be submitted by November 21, 2025, UFV-PA 2025/3409.
Uppsala University is a comprehensive research university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a difference in society. Our most important asset is our 7,600 employees and 53,000 students who, with curiosity and commitment, make Uppsala University one of the country's most exciting workplaces.
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