About the position
## Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Algal Microbiome Engineering Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics ## The position At the Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, there is a vacant position as a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the Microalgae & Microbiomes Research Group. The position is for a fixed term of 3 years. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution. The postdoctoral project focuses on programmable marine microbiomes and mechanistic interactions within the diatom phycosphere, with particular emphasis on synthetic biology, microbial ecology, and molecular interactions between marine microalgae and associated bacteria. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of experimental model systems for studying metabolite exchange, microbial community interactions, and engineered microbial consortia in marine environments. The position is affiliated with ongoing research activities in marine microbiology, synthetic biology, and systems biology at UiT. The research combines microbiology, molecular biology, microbial cultivation, genome-informed molecular ecology, synthetic biology, and multi-omics approaches to better understand and engineer marine microbial ecosystems relevant to carbon cycling and marine biotechnology. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer. ## The project/position's field of research The postdoctoral researcher will develop and apply experimental approaches for studying mechanistic interactions between marine microalgae and associated bacterial communities within the diatom phycosphere. The project will focus on the development of programmable and experimentally tractable microbial model systems using synthetic biology, microbial cultivation, and molecular biology approaches. The successful candidate will work with cultivation and engineering of marine bacteria and microalgae, construction of synthetic microbial consortia, and investigation of microbial metabolite exchange relevant to nutrient cycling and carbon fixation in marine ecosystems. The project may also involve transcriptomics, genomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics analyses to investigate molecular interactions between diatoms and associated microorganisms. The position is part of a broader research program focused on programmable marine microbiomes, marine microbial ecology, and biotechnology applications relevant to climate resilience, sustainable aquaculture, and marine carbon cycling. The postdoctoral researcher will work in an interdisciplinary and international research environment and is expected to contribute actively to scientific publications, collaborative research activities, and external funding development. You must submit a project proposal (max 2 pages) that describes how you scientifically can contribute to designing diatom phycosphere communities through the uses of engineered genetic circuits or other synthetic biology tools. The proposal should include your view on the state-of-the-art and opportunities for achievable but ground-breaking science with regards to engineering microbial consortia and non-traditional synthetic biology hosts. The proposal must include a progress plan. ## Contact For further information about the position, please contact Group Leader Hans Christopher Bernstein: - email: hans.c.bernstein@uit.no or the Head of Department Bjørn Petter Finstad: - email: bjornpetter.finstad@uit.no ## Qualifications Required qualifications: - A Norwegian doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, synthetic biology, marine biology, microbial ecology, systems biology, chemical engineering, bioengineering, or another relevant discipline. If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement. - Excellent written and oral English language skills. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. - Documented experience in experimental microbiology, molecular biology, and scientific publishing, including publication of research in peer reviewed international journals. Experience in one or more of the following areas is required: - synthetic biology - microbial cultivation - marine microbiology or marine microbial ecology - microalgae research - molecular cloning and genetic engineering - microbial ecology - microbial co-cultivation systems Desired qualifications: - Experience working with non-model microorganisms and/or developing molecular tools for environmental microorganisms is considered particularly advantageous. - Experience with one or more of the following areas is considered an advantage: - microbial genomics, transcriptomics, or metagenomics - bioinformatics and analysis of omics datasets - metabolomics or analytical chemistry - microbial community analysis - programming/scripting in R, Python, or similar languages - systems biology or computational biology - Knowledge of a Scandinavian language or willingness to learn Norwegian is considered an advantage. The successful candidate must be able to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary research team. Emphasis will also be placed on motivation, potential for research, scientific creativity, organizational skills, communication abilities, and personal suitability for the position. In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project proposal for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity. At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). ## We offer - Involvement in an interesting research project - Good career opportunities - A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues - Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement - Pension scheme through the state pension fund Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services. More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility ## Application Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position. Your application must include: - Application letter - Project proposal (max 2 pages) - CV - Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees) - Documentation of English proficiency - Contact information to 2-3 references - Documentation of educational competence, if available - Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important - The academic works (published or not) you wish us to take into consideration in the assessment If you're in the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply for the position, provided that you submit parts of your dissertation along with your application. This enables the evaluation committee to assess the quality and likelihood of completion by the desired employment date. You must include a statement from your supervisor or institution stating the expected completion date for your PhD degree. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement. All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. ## Assessment The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.
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