About the position
When early complex cells learned to swallow other organisms, some bacteria survived being eaten and began living inside their hosts. This Swedish Research Council project, led by Lionel Guy at Uppsala's Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, studies one large group of such bacteria, which includes Legionella and Francisella.
The team thinks this group's last common ancestor arose about two billion years ago, when complex cells were first evolving, and was among the first bacteria to infect them. You will gather genomes from the group, including isolates from 30 new Legionella species, reconstruct their evolutionary history, assess their metabolism, find the genes that let them live inside hosts, and look for genes picked up from early complex cells or Asgard archaea.
What you will do
- Assemble a set of genomes and reconstruct the group's evolutionary history.
- Analyse metabolic potential and identify host-adaptation genes.
- Screen for horizontal gene transfer from early eukaryotes or Asgard archaea, and study how the Legionella genus evolved.
Who can apply
- A master's degree in bioinformatics, molecular biology, microbiology, microbial ecology or a similar field, completed or expected before March 2027, or at least 240 credits of university study including 60 at master's level with an independent project of at least 15 credits, or equivalent knowledge.
- Documented coding skills in Python or R, and experience using or developing methods in metagenomics and molecular evolution.
- An interest in microbial evolution, good spoken and written English, independence, creativity and teamwork.
- Advantages: building pipelines for computing clusters, handling large datasets, and DNA extraction and sequencing library preparation.
What is offered
- Full-time, fixed-term employment as a doctoral student at the Biomedical Centre, Uppsala.
- Start as soon as possible, or as agreed.
- The post may involve a security check before you are hired.
How to apply
- Apply through Uppsala University's recruitment system, linked below, quoting reference UFV-PA 2026/2912.
- A CV and a letter describing your research interests and skills.
- Publications or a copy of your master's thesis or equivalent.
- Contact details (phone and email) for two referees.