PhD position: Evolution and innovation in eukaryotic genomes

Are you fascinated by the complexity and diversity of eukaryotic cells? Are you excited by figuring out what innovates and shapes eukaryotic genomes? Are you pursuing a PhD at the intersection of fundamental evolutionary research, microbiology and bioinformatics?

We invite you to apply for a vacant PhD position in our dynamic research team. In this role, you will have the opportunity to explore the evolutionary processes driving genetic innovation in eukaryotes, such as de novo gene invention, gene fusion, and horizontal gene transfer.

The emergence of the complex eukaryotic cell, which gave rise to infamous lineages like plants, animals and fungi, comprises one of the major outstanding questions in evolutionary biology. The past decade has brought large progress in identifying the prokaryotic origins of eukaryotes. In this development, our group discovered the Asgard archaea, eukaryotes’ closest prokaryotic relatives, marking an important inflection point.

Analyses of accumulating genome data yielded insights into which genomic changes contributed to the origin of the eukaryotic cell. Yet, for many key eukaryotic genes, we still don’t know how they came about. Similarly, how more recent eukaryotic lineages evolve is an open question, particularly for eukaryotic microbes, which dominate the eukaryotic tree of life, yet are poorly studied.

As a PhD student in our lab, you will work in a stimulating environment. We are at the forefront of unravelling the deep origins of eukaryotic cells, and expand our explorations of the understudied world of eukaryotic microbes. You will utilize cutting-edge bioinformatics tools to trace the evolution of proteins and genomes. As a result, you will deepen our understanding of the origins and diversification of eukaryotic cellular complexity. You will have the opportunity to pursue your own research questions and implement your ideas.

Your responsibilities include:

• implementing state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools to scrutinize the evolutionary histories of eukaryotic proteins;
• interpreting large-scale evolutionary analyses in the framework of eukaryotic cellular complexity and diversity;
• contributing to teaching in our courses and supervising BSc and MSc thesis students.

You will work here
This PhD position is embedded within the chair Laboratory of Microbiology, and member of the Microbial Evolution (MicEvo) team, which is led by Prof. dr. Thijs Ettema. Your daily supervisor will be Dr. Jolien van Hooff.

Requirements:

You are a highly motivated and curiosity-driven candidate with a strong interest in evolution, genomics, and microbiology. You have experience with handling biological datasets and using bioinformatics tools, and preferentially have some knowledge about homology, phylogenetics, and 3D protein structure prediction algorithms like AlphaFold.

You also possess:

• an MSc degree in Biology, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, or a related field;
• programming experience with languages like Python and/or R;
• documented experience in bioinformatics analyses;
• good verbal and written communication skills, as well as the willingness and ability to work together in teams.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Salary Benefits:

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.770 - per month rising to € 3.539,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

38 hours per week

Droevendaalsesteeg