OsnabrueckU_Germany, SynergisticCoevolution

The Department of Ecology at the School of Biology/Chemistry is seeking
to appoint a Research Assistant (m/f/d)(salary grade E 13 TV-L, 65%)
to commence at the earliest possible date. The position is fully funded
for three years.

Background:
A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand how
interactions between different organisms shape the process of
coevolution. While this issue is well-understood for antagonistic
interactions (e.g. between parasites and their hosts), our knowledge
on synergistic coevolution is rather poorly developed. Specifically, it
remains unclear how ecological interactions determine the evolutionary
dynamics of coevolving populations and thus the mutational trajectories of
the individuals involved. This includes in particular the question whether
and how synergistic coevolution affects the rates of molecular evolution
and phenotypic diversification within interacting consortia. This project
will address these issues by taking advantage of a previously performed
coevolution experiment, in which a cooperative mutualism evolved between
two genotypes of the bacterium Escherichia coli.

In collaboration with Dr. Alexander Herbig (MPI for Evolutionary
Anthropology, Leipzig), both isolated strains and whole populations
will be longitudinally sequenced to unravel the order and distribution
of mutations that arose during synergistic coevolution.  In addition,
isolated and genetically reconstructed strains will be subjected to
carefully designed coculture experiments to clarify how individual
mutations affect the evolutionary dynamics of interacting genotypes on
both a cell- and a population-level.  In this way, the experimental
tractability of the focal model system will help to identify the
underlying eco-evolutionary mechanisms and thus help to understand
other types of mutualistic interactions, in which similar analyses are
frequently not possible.

Your Duties:
- Participate in the DFG-funded project "Eco-evolutionary causes and
  genomic consequences of synergistic coevolution "
- Perform coculture and coevolution experiments with different
  bacterial strains
- Reconstruct mutations in different genetic backgrounds
- Conduct growth experiments to analyse fitness consequences of
  mutations
- Determine the cooperativity of bacterial strains by quantifying their
  amino acid production rates (LC-MS/MS)
- Spatio-temporal analysis of bacterial aggregates using tools of
  microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy
- Flow cytometric analyses
- Close collaboration with cooperation partners Dr. Alexander Herbig
  (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Antrhropology) and Dr.
  Alexander Grünberger (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
- The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work
  towards a PhD

Requirements:
- Completed degree (M.Sc. or comparable) in biology or a related field
- Solid practical experience in microbiological techniques and molecular
  biological methods
- Excellent command in written and spoken English

Additional Qualifications:
- Sound knowledge of ecological and evolutionary concepts and theory
- An excellent university degree
- Creative way of working
- Strong motivation and curiosity
- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team
- Structured and independent way of working
- Experience in using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy
- Knowledge of quantitative working methods and statistical analysis
  procedures
- Working knowledge in using programming languages (e.g. Python)
- Ability to develop and analyse theoretical models (population
  dynamics, individual-based models) is a plus

We Offer:
- An exciting and highly topical research project
- Working in an interdisciplinary and international research team
- Collaboration with other partner groups
- Participation in the excellent graduate education programs at
  Osnabrück University (ZePrOS, IRTG)
- Access to the state-of-the-art research infrastructure at the School
  of Biology/Chemistry (CellNanOs)
- Live and work in the vibrant and liveable city of Osnabrück

Osnabrück University is a family-friendly university and is committed to
helping working/studying parents balance their family and working lives.
Osnabrück University seeks to guarantee equality of opportunity for
women and men and strives to correct any gender imbalance in its schools
and departments.  If two candidates are equally qualified, preference
will be given to the candidate with disability status.

Please submit your application (including a letter of motivation,
CV, copies of certificates) by 28.07.2024 as one PDF file
via email to the Dean of the School of Biology/Chemistry
(Email:bewerb-bio@uni-osnabrueck.de).

Please contact Prof. Dr. Christian Kost (email:
christian.kost@uni-osnabrueck.de, homepage:kostlab.com) for further
information.  We are very much looking forward to receiving your
application.

Christian Kost <christiankost@gmail.com>

(to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to
golding@mcmaster.ca)