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PhD position within microbial ecology: Norway

At the University of Bergen, there is a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department of Earth Science within microbial metagenomics. The position is connected to the K.G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research and is for a fixed-term period of 4 years.

About the project/work tasks

The K. G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research represents an integrated, multi-disciplinary environment with researchers and students from both the Department of Earth Science and Department of Biological Sciences. The overall goal of the PhD project is to provide in-depth analysis of the functional diversity of uncultivated microbial lineages in deep sea hydrothermal systems in order to understand their role in microbial biogeography and biogeochemical cycling. The project will focus on state-of-the art bioinformatics for genome-centric metagenomics of the hydrothermal vent microbiome aiming to reconstruct complete or near complete genomes of archaeal and bacterial lineages and for placing the lineages/genomes in the tree of life using phylogenomics. Training in advanced bioinformatics tools will be given for investigating the metabolic functions and understanding the roles and/or ecological significance of the vastly un-explored microbiomes in deep-sea hydrothermal systems. The main study area is the vent fields located at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge.

Skills/Qualifications

  • Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent in microbiology, molecular biology / genetics or bioinformatics, or must have submitted his/her master’s thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
  • Documented skills in microbial physiology or ecology is a requirement.
  • Experience with microbial (meta)genomics and/or fluorescence microscopy is an advantage.
  • Experience in working in an interdisciplinary environment is an advantage.
  • Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
  • Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Specific Requirements

About the PhD position

The duration of the PhD position is 4 years, of which 25 per cent of the time each year comprises required duties associated with research, teaching and dissemination of results. The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a PhD position.

About the research training

As a PhD Candidate, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. A final plan for the implementation of the research training must be approved by the faculty within three months after you have commenced in the position. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

Further details
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