PHD STUDENT IN SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY

The position is placed in the research group of Fabien Burki (https://www.burki-lab.net/ ) within the Systematic Biology program at the Department of Organismal Biology (Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University). In the Burki lab, we study the broad diversity of eukaryotes, which is mainly microbial, to understand some of the main transitions in broad eukaryote evolution such as the origin of plastids. This position is within an ERC-funded project: Establishing a new framework of plastid evolution derived from the characterization of novel diversity of unicellular eukaryotes. The Burki lab was recently awarded an ERC Consolidator grant (PlastidOrigin) that aims to study one of the most transformative events in eukaryote evolution–the origin of the photosynthetic organelles (the primary plastids). The main aim of this PhD position is to characterize novel environmental diversity that diverged near the origin of Archaeplastida–the supergroup of eukaryotes where plastids were established more than 1.5 billion years ago. We aim to identify and phylogenetically resolve microbial lineages that have never been seen before in order to produce a comprehensive evolutionary framework for the origin of plastids that include this crucial environmental diversity. A suite of methods will be employed, including long-read metabarcoding, single-cell transcriptomics, metagenomics, phylogenomics, cultivation, microscopy.

The position involves lab work and bioinformatics. Lab work may include: sampling, cell isolation, imaging with advanced microscopy, cell-sorting, attempts for cultivation of interesting cells in enrichment cultures, and library preparation for metabarcoding and HTS sequencing. Bioinformatics includes analysis of diversity datasets, phylogenetics, analysis of genomic datasets, phylogenomic. Disseminate results in appropriate formats, including leading peer-reviewed publications and conferences. Training will be provided when necessary.