Postdoctoral Researcher in Eco-Evolutionary Microbiome and Thermal Biology

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 host physiology interact across early development to shape growth, metabolism, thermoregulation, and resilience to climate-induced thermal stress. The research uses wild great tits (Parus major) breeding in nest box populations and combines controlled field experiments with laboratory based microbiology, physiological measurements, and bioinformatic analyses.
The successful candidate will take a leading operational role in planning, establishing, coordinating, and conducting the project’s research activities. These include experiments on early-life thermal and hormonal stress, microbiome function transmission. The position therefore requires a highly independent researcher who is motivated by combining fieldwork and manipulative studies with laboratory analyses and data analyses.
Work duties
The main duty is to implement and coordinate research within HOTGUT in close collaboration with the principal investigator and project partners. The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Plan, establish, coordinate, and conduct experimental studies in wild nest-box breeding passerines.
• Collect and process biological samples, including faecal, oral, cloacal, blood, and environmental samples, and contribute to laboratory workflows for microbiome and physiological analyses.
• Perform microbiome laboratory work, including DNA extraction, library preparation, quality control, and preparation for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.
• Develop, maintain, and apply reproducible bioinformatic and statistical workflows.
• Contribute to data analyses, scientific publications, conference presentations, data and code management, open-science practices, and communication of results to scientific and wider audiences.

Qualification requirements
Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed no more than three years before the date of employment decision. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.
Applicants must have:

• A PhD in evolutionary ecology, ecological physiology, microbiology, bioinformatics, ornithology, or another field relevant to the position.
• Strong bioinformatic skills and experience with reproducible analysis of amplicon-sequencing data.
• Strong quantitative skills, including advanced statistical analysis in R and experience with mixed-effects and multivariate models.
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• A valid driving licence to be able to perform fieldwork.

Assessment criteria and other qualifications
This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers. Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.
The following qualifications will be considered merits:

• Experience of working with wild birds, particularly hole-nesting passerines, including bird handling, ringing, nest monitoring, blood sampling, or other relevant field procedures.
• Experience with thermal-physiology methods such as respirometry and body temperature measurement.
• Experience with endocrine, oxidative-stress, metabolomic, or other molecular and physiological analyses relevant to the project.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:
A good ability to develop and conduct high quality research.
Teaching skills.
Particular emphasis will be placed on scientific maturity, independence, careful and controlled working practices, problem-solving ability, and the capacity to take responsibility for the practical implementation of the research programme.
Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.
Terms of employment
This is a fixed-term postdoctoral researcher position at 100% of full time for 2 years, starting on March 1st 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is based at the Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”) between Lund University, SACO-S and OFR/S, dated 1st February 2022.
Fieldwork will be conducted primarily during the bird breeding season and may require flexible working hours during intensive experimental periods.
Contact information
Dr Katharina Ruthsatz, Principal Investigator:
katharina.ruthsatz@biol.lu.se
Dr Andreas Nord, Associate Professor:
andreas.nord@biol.lu.se, +46 704 953 262
Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English and compiled into a single PDF file containing:

• A cover letter describing the applicant’s motivation and suitability for the position,
• a curriculum vitae, including a complete publication list and details of relevant technical, field, laboratory, bioinformatic, teaching, and supervisory experience,
• a brief description of previous research and how the applicant would contribute to the implementation of HOTGUT (maximum one DIN A4 page),
• contact information for at least two academic references, and
• a copy of the doctoral degree certificate and any other certificates or documentation the applicant wishes to be considered.