PhD position in bacterial genomic evolution

A PhD position will be available for 3 years at the University of Berne to investigate the effect of range expansions on the genomic diversity of bacteria.

Theoretical and simulation results suggest that spatially expanding populations should accumulate non-neutral mutations at a higher rate than stationary populations through the mechanism of gene surfing. The present research project aims at verifying these predictions in bacteria.

We are looking for a very motivated PhD student to perform and analyse the output of a series of experiments with bacteria, measure their fitness at various stages of their expansions, analyse the evolution of their genome by Next Generation Sequencing, and study the effects of the accumulated mutations. These analyses will be done in close collaboration with Prof. Martin Ackermann in ETH Zurich. The candidate is expected to have a strong background in microbiology and a good exposure to evolutionary concepts. Additional knowledge in population genetics, bioinformatics and statistics will be a plus.

The successful candidate will be able to further her/his education by following courses organized by Swiss inter-University doctoral programs in Population Genomics and Bioinformatics. The gross starting salary is about 3,000 CHF per month (plus an additional 13th month) and will follow the Swiss NSF progression scale. The CMPG lab offers an international and very stimulating research environment and it is affiliated to the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. Berne is ideally located in the middle of Switzerland and Europe, and provides rich cultural and outdoor activities.

Please send before December 1 2012, an application letter stating your motivation for the position, a CV, and contact information of two references to Laurent Excoffier:  laurent.excoffier@iee.unibe.ch. Position start in February 2013. People who have already applied for this position are discouraged to re-apply.