PhD student in Evolutionary Cell Biology

Are you interested in working with Evolutionary Cell Biology, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a PhD position at Uppsala University.

The Department of Cell and Molecular Biology is organized into seven research programmes which all focus 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. The scientific basis of what we do lies in biology, but our research overlaps with other areas such as medicine, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, engineering sciences and physics. In total, we are over 200 staff and ~60 Ph.D. students. Please read more about the department’s work at https://www.uu.se/en/department/cell-and-molecular-biology.

This PhD position will be within the Molecular Evolution programme co-supervised by Courtney Stairs and Jan Andersson https://www.uu.se/institution/cell-och-molekylarbiologi/forskning/molekylar-evolution

Project description
How do microbial eukaryotes shape the fate of prokaryotic life in low-oxygen ecosystems? From sediment surfaces to anoxic water columns anaerobic protists act as predators and partners in microbial communities. These interactions contibute to important biogeochemical cycling through metabolic interactions with other microbes. As apex microbial predators, protists are uniquely positioned to funnel nutrients to higher trophic levels. Despite their predicted importance in the environment – especially low-oxygen environments – protist remain vastly under investigated. Recent advances in cell biology and genomics have provided the tools to understand who these protist are and what they might be doing in these environemtns. Indeed, this frontier of microbiology holds critical clues to understanding microbial community stability and ecosystem function under shifting redox regimes.

This PhD project will explore the dual nature of protist–prokaryote interactions—ranging from antagonistic strategies like effector secretion and targeted predation, to cooperative, resource-sharing partnerships. Working with established and newly isolated co-cultures from low-oxygen environments, the student will combine genomic, transcriptomic, and cell biological tools to dissect the mechanisms and ecological consequences of these interactions. By integrating laboratory experimentation with environmental sampling, the project aims to generate insight that bridges molecular processes with ecological context.

We are looking for a motivated and curious candidate eager to investigate microbial interactions at the interface of cell biology, evolution, and global element cycling.

Duties
The work will consist of both bioinformatic analyses and microbiological investigation of protists and their associated microbiota. Such work can include, for example, de novo assembly of sequence data, genome annotation, phylogenetic analyses, protein expression, microscopy and microbial culturing.

Requirements
To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in bioinformatics, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, or another subject that the employer considers to be equivalent, or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.

Applicants whose MSc degree in the above subjects is on-going will also be considered provided the degree is completed by the start date of the PhD education.

Additional requirements

• The applicant must have an ability to work independently as well as in a group.
• The applicant must have very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• The applicant must have demonstrable experience in basic bioinformatics (web-based or command line-based).

Additional qualifications

• To work creatively, goal-oriented and structured are central abilities during a doctoral education and will therefore be given special consideration.
• Candidates with experience working with sequence data, bioinformatic analyses especially protein structure prediction will be prioritized.
• Familiarity with the Linux/Unix environment and a programming language such as Python, R or Perl is highly desirable.
• Candidates with advanced courses in microbiology and molecular biology is highly desirable.
• Previous experience working with protists or protist sequencing data is also meriting, but not a requirement.

Application
Applications must be written in English and must include the following:

• Respond to the questions posed on the Varbi application system
• CV (maximum 2-pages):
  • BSc and MSc Degree information and BSc & MSc thesis title (if applicable)
  • Other qualifications you deem relevant for the application
  • If applicable, provide a list of publications or other research outputs with 1-3 sentences describing your contribution to the work

In this recruitment we have replaced the cover letter with questions that you are asked to answer when making your application. The answers will be used as a part of the selection process.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 2025-09-01 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Courtney Stairs, thelabupstairs.uppsala@gmail.com, Jan Andersson jan.andersson@icm.uu.se

Please submit your application by July 14th 2025, UFV-PA 2025/1920.

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