We are seeking an ambitious postdoc with a documented history of scientific excellence to be affiliated with the Network Engineering of Eukaryotic Cell Factories (NetEng) group and with collaborations into other groups at the department.
The NetEng group has a focus Ｏn industrial biotechnology and the application of systems biology tools to understand the cell factory. The group is currently eight people and in the process of expanding by several additional members, where this position will be centered in Ｏne of our focus areas: Aspergillus genomics.
Responsibilities and tasks
Fungi of the genus Aspergillus are of large economic importance due to their widespread application in industry and their natural capabilities as highly efficient cell factories. In particular, the Aspergilli are natural enzyme producers, and preferred hosts for heterologous enzyme production, but some species also play roles in plant, animal, and human pathogenicity. All known species produce a wide range of bioactive compounds. Several types of extremophiles are found, e.g. halophiles, thermophiles and xerophiles. In lieu of this, we have started an endeavor with collaborators to whole-genome sequence all members of the genus. Ｏne of our goals in this project is to investigate the dynamics and origin of eukaryotic speciation, a question discussed since Darwins publication Ｏn the Origin of Species.
This postdoctoral position offers the unique opportunity to work with high-quality genome sequences for an entire eukaryotic genus with more than 300 species. A central part in the project will be to develop bioinformatic tools to solve the non-trivial problem of querying this compendium of sequences, and make these tools available to the community. Following this development, the candidate will – together with two PhD students – investigate gene and genome dynamics at the genus level, spanning 200 million years of evolution.
In addition to the opportunity to do truly groundbreaking research in the driving forces of evolution and species formation, the position also entails other responsibilities and opportunities. In particular, the successful candidate will have opportunities to teach undergraduate and graduate students and take an active role in the supervision of PhD students. The position also entails a three month academic research stay with a partner institution in USA.
Qualifications
- Candidates should have a PhD degree or equivalent
Furthermore, the successful candidate should have
- A strong background in bioinformatics, in particular comparative genomics
- Experience with Perl and/or Python programming
- Documented scientific excellence with publication of high quality research
It would furthermore be advantageous, but not essential, for the candidate to have knowledge of, or experience with the following:
- Programming of web-interfaces for algorithms
- Fungal biology
- Professional graphical software such as Adobe Illustrator or similar
We offer
We offer an interesting and challenging job in an international environment focusing Ｏn education, research, public-sector consultancy and innovation, which contribute to enhancing the economy and improving social welfare. We strive for academic excellence, collegial respect and freedom tempered by responsibility. The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is a leading technical university in northern Europe and benchmarks with the best universities in the world.
Salary and terms of employment
The appointment will be ba
The period of employment is 3 years.
