At the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at Stockholm University, research and education is conducted in an international environment. The subject areas are Ecology and Evolution, Ecotoxicology, Marine Biology, Plant Physiology and Plant Systematics. Some of the research has direct environmental and societal relevance and the approach is often broad and interdisciplinary. About 140 people are working at the Department, of which ca. 35 are teachers and researchers and 50 are PhD students.

Project description
The position is associated with the European Research Council (ERC) funded project “SuperGenE: Supergene evolution in a classic plant system”.

The aim of this project is to investigate the genomic architecture underlying the balanced floral polymorphism termed distyly in wild Linum species. Specifically, the project aims to investigate the genomic region (termed supergene) that governs distyly and test whether this supergene exhibits evolutionary genetic similarities to sex chromosomes. For this purpose, we are conducting evolutionary genetic analyses of cutting-edge genomic data to comprehensively investigate the tempo and mode of recombination suppression, the impact of natural selection, and regulatory evolution at the supergene in several distylous species. Within the project we are generating several new high-quality de novo genome assemblies for wild Linum species, as well as large population genomics and expression data sets.

The researcher will be based in the Slotte lab (https://tanjaslottelab.se). The working atmosphere is international with English as the working language, and the position offers plenty of opportunities for scientific exchange with both genomicists, evolutionary biologists and ecologists.

Main responsibilities
The position involves research in the ERC project SuperGenE. The researcher will be responsible for comprehensive genomic analyses to address evolutionary genomic questions. The focus of this position is on bioinformatic and evolutionary genetic/population genetic analyses of large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data sets.

Qualification requirements
Researchers are appointed primarily for purposes of research and must hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country, preferably in Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, Bioinformatics, or a closely related area.

Assessment criteria
In the appointment process, special attention will be given to research skills, in particular pertaining to genomic analyses. The applicant should have proven expertise in genomics and be used to analyzing large-scale genomic or gene expression data sets. A strong interest in and training in bioinformatics, evolutionary genetics and/or population genomics is a merit, as is a strong relevant publication history. Excellent proficiency in English (the working language of the group) is required. The postdoctoral fellow needs to be able to work well in a collaborative environment, as well as independently. Finally, initiative, analytical skills and drive are personal characteristics that are desirable.