Postdoctoral position in comparative genomics or experimental biology of the gut microbiota

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

Presentation

The Microbiota Evolution Lab ( https://microbiota-evolution.weebly.com ) in the Department of Computational Biology at the University of Lausanne offers a fully funded postdoctoral position in comparative genomics and bioinformatics or experimental biology of the gut microbiota.

Job information and description

Starting date: Fall 2025

Length of contract: 1 year, renewable, maximum 4 years.

Work percentage: 80-100%

Workplace: University of Lausanne

The postdoc will join an SNSF Starting grant project and an international collaboration called GLOMUS. The project aims at understanding how the gut microbiota co-evolved with their mammalian hosts using computational and experimental approaches. The postdoc can choose between two research axes, either

1/ Computational focus: the candidate will leverage large metagenomic datasets and use comparative genomics approaches to measure to what extent gut microbes and their mammalian host co-diversified for millions of years. The applicant will reconstruct and annotate metagenomes assembled genomes (MAGs) to build bacterial phylogenies and compare them to host phylogeny.

2/ Experimental focus: the candidate will isolate, whole-genome sequence and phenotypically characterize gut bacteria from wild micro-mammals. The postdoc will then use comparative genomics approaches to test if certain bacterial phenotypes are associated with co-evolution with the mammalian host.

The exact focus of the project can be adapted to the interests of the applicant and can include conceptual and theoretical work.

Your responsibilities

The candidate will be responsible for

• field work in Switzerland and potentially abroad to sample gut bacteria from wild rodents (optional if computational focus),


• writing and reading scientific literature,


• contribute to teaching duties, especially supervision of younger students and scientific life at the Department.

In case of a more computational focus, the candidate will be responsible for

• wet lab work: DNA extraction, PCR and sequencing (optional but encouraged)


• bioinformatics analysis of metagenomics data, i.e., developing, writing and publishing bioinformatic pipelines using high performance computing cluster.

In case of a more experimental focus, the candidate will be responsible for

• wet lab work, e.g., bacteria isolation, development and maintenance of a gut bacteria biobank, flow cytometry, phenotypic assays, DNA extraction, PCR and sequencing.


• bioinformatics analysis of metagenomics and flow cytometry datasets.

Your qualifications

• Diploma – Postdoc applicants should have a PhD in (experimental) microbiology, bioinformatics, mathematics, ecology, evolutionary biology or any related topic.


• Skills in case of a more computational focus – Prior research experience in large-scale sequence data analysis, microbial ecology and evolution would be desirable.


• Skills in case of a more experimental focus – Prior research experience in experimental (micro)biology such as bacterial culturing, phenotyping (e.g., using flow cytometry), sequencing, would be desirable.


• General skills – A keen interest in conceptual thinking in ecology and evolution would be appreciated. A good command of the English language, a high personal motivation to conduct scientific work, a curious mind and ability to work independently as well as a member of a team are required.

What we offer you

Inclusive and supportive work environment – We strongly support a healthy work-life balance.

Adequate research resources – The position offer a competitive salary and benefits. We are equipped with state-of-the art infrastructures enabling cutting-edge research with access to many core facilities located on campus (microscopy, proteomics, sequencing facilities, high performance computational cluster).

Collaborations and network – We offer a stimulating environment in a young research group combining computational, experimental and conceptual/theoretical approaches to study symbiosis in the gut. We are part of the Department of Computational Biology, a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary, and team-oriented scientific environment. We have strong ties to other Departments, such as the Department of Fundamental Microbiology, and also actively collaborate with researchers abroad, notably in the UK and China.

Broader life environment – Our department is situated on a beautiful campus at the shore of Lake Geneva with a great view of the Alps and with plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities.

Your application

Deadline : 30.04.2025

Please, send your full application in Word or PDF.

Only applications through this website will be taken into account.

We thank you for your understanding.

Your application (written in English) should include: (1) a motivation letter describing your reasons for pursuing a Postdoc with us, your research interests, your preparation for doing research in microbial ecology and evolution, why we would be a good fit for your career plans and other aspects of your background; (2) your curriculum vitae with education, activities, awards, services, public outreach, and publication list with explanation of study relevance (both in general and in relation to the project described here) and your contribution to these activities; (3) up to three abstracts of any meaningful research project you've lead (e.g. PhD thesis, papers, …) pasted in the same document; (4) copy of graduate degree certificates; (5) names and contact details of up to three referees.

For informal inquiries and further information, do not hesitate to contact us at E-Mail schreiben

Additional information

•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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