PhD student in Microbiology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

PhD position in Microbiology – Revealing adaptations to parasitism using comparative spatial proteomics of anaerobic free-living and parasitic lineages

Are you interested in working with microbilogy, 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 student in Microbology 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://icm.uu.se.

The PhD position is placed in Staffan Svärd’s research group at the Microbiology and Immunology program, please visit  https://www.uu.se/en/department/cell-and-molecular-biology/research/microbiology-and-immunology/svard-lab

General description
The evolution of parasitism is a fundamental and fascinating question in biology and evolution. Every extant parasitic lineage has evolved from a free-living ancestor through specific molecular adaptations. These promote host infection and colonization, while avoiding mechanical and/or immune-mediated clearance. Despite the immediate significance of this overarching question in biology to both human and animal well-being and livelihoods, we are very far from understanding how parasitism emerged as a style of life.

The overarching question in this PhD project is thus stated: How has the transition to parasitism affected proteomes and their subcellular distribution, organelle evolution and metabolic diversification to meet the challenges of shifting from fluctuating environmental habitats to survival within a host, including life-cycle completion and transmission?

To tackle this ambitious and far-reaching question, we will use an interdisciplinary approach including spatial proteomic methods (hyperLOPIT), experimental genetics and cell biology, comparative genomics and evolutionary biology, combined with expertise across human and veterinary livestock -infective, and free-living lineages of Phylum Fornicata. Fornicata includes both free-living protist species and human/animal parasites, including Giardia intestinalis, a human pathogen of clear zoonotic significance, and closely-related genera Spironucleus and Hexamita, responsible for million Euro losses in the aquaculture industry.

Duties
The Ph.D. student shall primarily focus on postgraduate studies, but other duties related to teaching and administrative work may be involved, up to a maximum of 20 % of the time. Information about doctoral education, eligibility requirements and admission rules can be found at the faculty website, http://www. teknat.uu.se/utbildning/utbildning-pa-forskarniva/.

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

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, 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.

A prerequisite is good written and oral knowledge of English, as the work takes place in an international environment. Strong written and oral communication skills are required. Assessment of personal suitability will be an important aspect in the selection.

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

Application

Your application must be written in English and include:

• A CV containing your education and other qualifications and a copy of your diplomas and list of publications.
• A cover letter where you describe yourself, your research interest, your experiences and why you are interested in the position (max. 2 pages).
• Please provide a copy of your diploma, contact information to reference persons and recommendation letters from prior research supervisors.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting dateas agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Prof. Staffan Svärd, staffan.svard@icm.uu.se . For administrative questions contact HR-generalist Johanna Paulus, tel. +46(0) 18471 4416, e-mail personal@icm.uu.se

Please submit your application by the 1st of October 2025, UFV-PA 2025/2719.