The Institute of Evolutionary Biology seeks a PhD student

The Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) is a joint Institute of the
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Pompeu Fabra University
(UPF), located in Barcelona. IBE's research is focused on the processes
and mechanisms that generate biodiversity and on understanding the
genetic basis of evolution. The IBE is part of the Barcelona Biomedical
Research Park (PRBB), a stimulating international research environment
with state-of-the-art facilities.

The Evolutionary Microbiology Lab
The Evolutionary Microbiology lab's
(https://www.ibe.upf-csic.es/evolutionary-microbiology-group) goal is to
study the molecular mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to changing
environments, as well as the limits of adaptation, using a combination
of computational approaches, experimental evolution (of bacteria
and single proteins) and omics (sequencing, transcriptomics). The
group is part of the Biodiversity Program at IBE.  We are a small,
but collaborative and dynamic group. The candidate will benefit from
a vibrant and interdisciplinary academic environment with excellent
opportunities for education, training and collaboration.

Project description
Environments change constantly, but bacteria can rapidly adapt to
stressful conditions. How can bacteria adapt so quickly? While most
research on bacterial adaptation centers on well-established model
organisms, in our lab we investigate the mechanisms of adaptation in
understudied bacterial species.  The candidate will use experimental
evolution to investigate how bacteria with multipartite genomes
adapt to nutrient limitation under both constant and fluctuating
environmental conditions. The evolution experiments will be coupled
with whole-genome sequencing to identify the genetic changes underlying
adaptation. Particular emphasis will be placed on studying the role of
copy number variations in driving adaptation to nutrient scarcity.

Specific Tasks
- Experimental evolution of bacterial populations
- Transcriptome/genome sequencing and analysis
- Directed laboratory experiments to test hypotheses derived from the
  evolution experiments

Requirements
- The successful candidate should hold a Master's degree in a relevant
  area such as evolutionary biology or microbiology and have a genuine
  interest in evolutionary biology
- Experience with standard molecular biology techniques (microbiological
  culture using sterile technique, PCR, cloning, DNA and RNA isolation,
  sequencing, etc.)
- Programming skills and experience analyzing next-generation sequencing
  data are an asset
- The candidate should be self-motivated, curious, organized and able to
  work independently and as part of a team.
- Proficiency in English (oral and written)

What do we offer?
A fully-funded four-year PhD position, funded by a Proyecto de Generación
de Conocimiento (AEI).
Starting date: March, 2026
Salary: 24.500  euro /year gross salary
Location: Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Passeig Marítim de la
Barceloneta, 37 - 49, Barcelona, Spain)

Application process
Application deadline: 30th September 2025
Interested candidates should e-mail Macarena Toll Riera
(macarena.toll@ibe.upf-csic.es) with the subject line "PhD student
position" and a motivation letter describing their interest in the
project, their CV and contact information of two potential references.

MACARENA HELENA TOLL RIERA <macarena.toll@csic.es>

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