Graduate position: Evolutionary Sociogenomics of Parent-Offspring Co-adaptation, UBasel
From the Evolution Directory (EvolDir) via Twitter.
A fully funded PhD-position (3 years) is available at the Department of
Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland. The project is on
the sociogenomics of parent-offspring co-adaptation in insect families using
the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) as experimental system. In many
organisms, parental care can affect development, behavior, and fitness of
offspring while the offspring can in turn influence parental care,
reproduction and life-history. Such reciprocal feedback leads to selection
for traits that reflect optimal - co-adapted - combinations of parent and
offspring traits. The project will test this key prediction of co-adaptation
models at the level of gene expression in earwigs, and it will combine
manipulative experiments with modern genetic technologies (RNA-Seq and gene
expression analysis)
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD-student who is fascinated by working
and thinking scientifically, and who has a keen interest in the research
topic and the involved experimental, molecular, bioinformatics, and
statistical methods. The successful candidate should have experience working
experimentally, be skilled in applied basic molecular methods (DNA/RNA
isolation, PCR), be motivated to apply and further learn quantitative
methods (statistics, bioinformatics), and have excellent communication and
scientific writing skills in English. He/she should also be able to work
independently while enjoying being part of a closely collaborating research
group.
The project will be carried out in collaboration with Jean-Claude Walser
(Genetic Diversity Centre GDC, ETH Zürich) and Barbara Taborsky (Institute
of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern). The PhD-candidate will be
part of a graduate research program (ProDoc) on "Proximate and ultimate
causes of cooperation" funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. This
program connects research groups from five Swiss Universities in their joint
venture to better understand the evolution of cooperation and social
interactions. See www.prodoc-evolcoop.uzh.ch for more information.
The position requires an MSc (or equivalent) in biology, ideally with
specialization in an evolutionary or genetics area. To apply, please send
your application documents (preferably by e-mail and in one pdf-document)
to: Prof. Mathias Koelliker, Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology
and Evolution, University of Basel: mathias.koelliker@unibas.ch.
The application should include: 1) motivation letter, 2) curriculum vitae,
3) copy of your MSc-certificate (or equivalent) including grades (or the
expected date of graduation with BSc-certificate/grades if the MSc-exam is
forthcoming), 4) a passage/copy of your MSc-thesis, and 5) the names and
contact details of two referees.
Applications received by 29. July 2012 will receive full consideration. The
preferred starting dates are 1. September or 1. October 2012.
For additional information about our group and research, please visit our
website at www.evolution.unibas.ch/koelliker; you may also contact M.
Koelliker directly before 18. July.
phone: ++41 (0)61 267 03 79; e-mail: mathias.koelliker@unibas.ch