FWO-UGent funded bioinformatics postdocs - Unveiling the significance
of gene loss in plant evolution

We are seeking two highly motivated postdoctoral researchers to join
our research team based in the Van de Peer lab, under the supervision of
Dr. Zhen Li, Assistant Professor at Ghent University/VIB Staff Scientist.

The two positions are funded through an FWO research grant awarded to
Dr. Zhen Li and will focus on the evolutionary significance of gene loss
in shaping plant adaptation, speciation, and biological innovations. This
project aims to redefine our understanding of gene loss alongside gene
gain in plant evolution, focusing on developing novel genomic approaches
to analyze gene loss across diverse plant lineages and their evolutionary
consequences. To this end, the initial focus will be developing a novel
genomic approach integrating homolog identification and multiple genome
alignment to identify gene loss in plants and investigating its links
with species divergence and adaptive traits in various plant clades,
e.g., Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Solanaceae, Brassicaceae, and Fagales.

Research Focus Areas
While the two positions will work closely together and share many
responsibilities, they have slightly different initial focus areas:
Position 1: Computational Genomics and Method Development
- Develop novel genomic frameworks for detecting gene loss in
  plant genomes
- Implement approaches to distinguish DNA deletion from pseudogenization
- Analysis of gene loss patterns across diverse plant lineages
- Explore graph-based algorithms for multiple genome alignment and
  ancestral karyotype reconstruction

Position 2: Evolutionary Analysis and Network Biology
- Analysis of cross-species/-ecotype co-expression and gene
  regulatory networks
- Study of molecular mechanisms underlying how gene loss affects
  biological network rewiring
- Integration of phenotypic data with omics analysis
- Explore machine learning and network analysis methods

We Offer
The VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology is a world-leading
science institution in Ghent, Belgium. Ghent University is among the top
100 global universities according to several international rankings.
- A fully funded, full-time postdoctoral position for one year (with
  possibility of a two-year extension after positive evaluation) in a
  stimulating and supportive international research environment
- Access to state-of-the-art tools and computational infrastructure,
  including CPU/GPU clusters
- Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in plant evolution
  and genomics
- Support for attending international conference and developing
  professional networks
- Comprehensive training in academic, technical, and career skills
  through VIB and Ghent University

Motivated candidates are asked to apply online via the VIB application
procedure.

A complete application file (English) should contain the following
documents:
- A cover/motivation letter (max. 2 pages) stating career goals,
  experience, and how these relate to your preferred position 1 and/or 2
- A detailed CV, including a list of your scientific publications
- Contact information of at least two academic references

For detailed information, please visithttps://jobso.id/ko16
For inquiries about the positions, please mail to zhen.li@psb.vib-ugent.be

Zhen Li <zhen.li@psb.vib-ugent.be>

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

zhen.li@psb.vib-ugent.be

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