Within the ERACoBioTech project Cell4Chem, we aim at providing tools and strategies to unlock the full potential of microbial communities and enabling transformation processes that end in high-value products such as medium-chain carboxylates from lignocellulosic feedstocks. At the UFZ Department of Environmental Microbiology (working group Microbiology of Anaerobic Systems) in Leipzig, we are seeking a postdoc for meta-omics analyses of constructed consortia for steering anaerobic fermentation of lignocellulose towards production of medium-chain carboxylates.

Project start: 1 June 2021. Working time 100% (39 hours per week), limited to 3 years (this position is subject to the approval of the third-party funder).

Your tasks:

• Compositional analysis and monitoring of constructed bacterial consortia and enrichment cultures based on amplicon sequencing data
• Whole genome sequencing of bacterial consortia, reconstruction of metagenome-assembled genomes and functional annotation, genome analysis of single strains
• Establish and apply workflows and analysis pipelines for Oxford Nanopore sequencing (MinION) and hybrid assembly with Illumina sequencing data
• Functional genomics and activity tracking of bacterial strains and consortia by (meta)proteome analysis
• Data management
• Supervision and instruction of students and technicians involved in the project, support of the project coordinator

Your profile:

• PhD in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics or related discipline with a strong background in microbiology and molecular biology.
• A passion for computational biology and microbial genomics is a plus.
• Experience in bioinformatics and multivariate statistics is essential, including proficient use of analysis tools and databases for genome analysis and pathway annotation as demonstrated by the scientific publication track record.
• Wet-lab experience with next generation sequencing techniques and proteome analysis, or experience in metabolic modelling are beneficial.
• The candidate should be motivated to work in an international, multidisciplinary team.
• A proactive team player with excellent communication skills in English is needed.

We offer:

• Excellent technical facilities
• the freedom you need to bridge the difficult gap between basic research and close to being ready for application
• work in interdisciplinary, multinational teams and excellent links with national and international research networks
• a vibrant region with a high quality of life and a wide cultural offering for a balance between family and professional life
• Extensive range of training and further education courses
• remuneration up to TVöD public sector pay grade 13 including attractive public-sector social security benefits