Graduate position: Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of
Sciences. Invasion Genomics of forest pest species.

PhD Position funded by the Polish National Science Centre (NCN) OPUS
grant nr 2025/57/B/NZ8/01241.

We invite applications for a PhD position within the project "Invasion
success through genomic lens: insights from whole-genome diversity of
invasive Hemiptera pests"

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

The number of emerging alien species is growing worldwide, causing damage
to natural ecosystems.

A major focus in invasion ecology is to identify traits that contribute
to invasion success. Genomic studies can be used to track the invasion
process, reveal genomic regions involved in adaptation in the novel range
and identify genome characteristics potentially facilitating invasions. In
this project, we use two Hemipteran invasive insect species, Cinara
curvipes and Leptoglossus occidentalis, as invasion models to unravel
the genetic mechanisms behind invasion success. We will use whole genome
data to get insight into population genomic differentiation of single
nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), structural variants (SV) that can have
strong and immediate phenotypic effects and are often related to traits
that support range expansion. We will also identify evolutionary events,
such as gene family expansions or transposable element (TE) activity,
that can modulate invasion success.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The position is funded for 48 months.

Scholarship: approx. 5000 PLN monthly gross (~3790 PLN/month net) before
mid-term evaluation and 6500 PLN monthly gross (~4930 PLN/month net) after
mid-term evaluation The successful candidate will be involved in de novo
sequencing, assembly and annotation of C.  curvipes genome. Further, the
genomes of both species will be analysed in terms of structural variation,
TE content and expansions of gene families potentially related to
survival outside the native range. The presence of facultative bacterial
endosymbionts of both species in their native and invasive populations
will also be analysed as a potential driver of invasiveness. The research
will involve wet-lab work, but will be more skewed towards population
genomic analyses.

The PhD student will be supervised by Dr Aleksandra Biedrzycka, an
evolutionary, conservation and invasion geneticist, at the Institute of
Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences in Krak�w. The candidate
will work in collaboration with Dr Pierre Nouhaud, evolutionary geneticist
of invasive pest arthropod populations, at INRAE - CBGP Marseilles,
France.

REQUIREMENTS:

The successful candidate must hold a M.Sc. degree in bioinformatics,
computional biology, evolutionary biology.

We seek applicants with:

- a strong interest in evolutionary and population genomics.

- experience or interest in bioinformatic analyses

- good English language, communication and organizational skills.

DEADLINE AND APPLICATION PROCESS:

Detailed information about application process can be found at:

https://www.iop.krakow.pl/files/427/mszyce_ogloszenie_phd_position_within_the_opus_2.pdf

Informal inquiries should be sent to Aleksandra Biedrzycka
(biedrzycka@iop.krakow.pl).

The application deadline is 7 August 2026. The PhD position will commence
on 1 October 2026

We look forward to receiving your application!

Aleksandra Biedrzycka <biedrzycka@iop.krakow.pl>

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