PhD position on avian reproductive microbiomes A fully funded PhD position is available at the Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, in the group of Dr. Melissah Rowe. The PhD candidate will work on an ERC-funded project where the overarching aim is to determine whether reproductive microbiomes impact host fitness and evolution in wild animals and reveal the role of host genetics and immune functioning in shaping reproductive microbiome variability. Application deadline September 15th, initial (online) interviews September 23rd /24th, and starting date in November 2024 (but can be flexible). In this project, the student will use quantitative genetics to test the hypotheses that (a) variation in the microbiome is linked to individual fitness in a wild population, and (b) microbiome diversity and/or composition is heritable. The successful candidate will make use of a wild house sparrow population residing on a remote island in the Atlantic (Lundy Island), where the genetic pedigree is of high density, allowing the estimation of quantitative genetic parameters from data of a few generations. The PhD position will involve fieldwork on wild birds to collect samples for microbiome analysis and quantify reproductive success of males and females, laboratory analysis, bioinformatic and statistical analysis of data, manuscript preparation, and supervision of students. There is scope for the candidate to develop complementary avenues of research that may involve additional tasks. We are looking for a highly motivated, independent, and productive person, who thrives in a collaborative and international environment and is willing to work in the field and the lab and contribute intellectually to the project. The candidate should hold a MSc degree in ecology/evolution, molecular biology, microbial ecology, or a related discipline by the time of starting the position. The candidate must have excellent communication skills, including writing and presentation of research, and must be fluent in English, as this is the working language of the group. Experience with bird field work is highly preferred; The candidate will be expected to, after initial training, conduct fieldwork on Lundy Island for a few months every year Informal inquires can be made to: Melissah Rowe, m.rowe@nioo.knaw.nl Information on the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and the Department of Animal Ecology can be found at the website: http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/. For further information and to apply please see: https://vacatures.knaw.nl/job/Wageningen-PhD-position-on-avian-reproductive-microbiomes-NIOO-KNAW-Wageningen/988207555/ "Rowe, Melissah" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)