Research Assistant Position in Ecology – Department of Ecology, School of Biology/Chemistry

The Department of Ecology at the School of Biology/Chemistry is seeking to appoint a Research Assistant (m/f/d) (salary grade E 13 TV-L, 65%) to commence at the earliest possible date. The position is limited for three years.

Your Duties:

• Participate in the DFG-funded research project “Altruistic suicide in multicellular clusters of bacteria: causes and consequences“ that is part of the SPP 2389 ”Emergent Functions of Bacterial Multicellularity”.
• Perform coculture and coevolution experiments with different bacterial strains.
• Generate and characterize bacterial mutants.
• Spatio-temporal analysis of the rate of cell death in multicellular aggregates of bacteria by using newly developed tools of microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy.
• Flow cytometric analyses.
• Analyse transcriptomes of auxotrophic bacterial mutants.
• Work together with collaboration partners (Alexander Grünberger, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; Knut Drescher, University of Basel) and other group members.
• The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work towards a PhD.

Requirements:

• Completed degree (M.Sc. or comparable) in biology or a related field.
• Solid practical experience in microbiological techniques and molecular biological methods.
• Excellent command in written and spoken English.
• Strong motivation and curiosity.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.
• Structured and independent way of working.
• Experience in using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy.

Additional Qualifications:

• An excellent university degree.
• Creative way of working.
• Sound knowledge of ecological and evolutionary concepts and theory.
• Knowledge of quantitative working methods and statistical analysis procedures.
• Working knowledge in using programming languages (e.g. Python).
• Ability to develop and analyse theoretical models (population dynamics, individual-based models) is a plus.
• Practical experience in the generation and analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data.

We Offer:

• An exciting and highly topical research project.
• Collaboration with national and international partners.
• Working in an interdisciplinary and international research team.
• Participation in the excellent graduate education programs at Osnabrück University (ZePrOS, IRTG).
• Access to the state-of-the-art research infrastructure at the School of Biology/Chemistry (CellNanOs).
• Live and work in the vibrant and liveable city of Osnabrück.

Osnabrück University is a family-friendly university and is committed to helping working/studying parents balance their family and working lives.

Osnabrück University seeks to guarantee equality of opportunity for women and men and strives to correct any gender imbalance in its schools and departments.

If two candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to the candidate with disability status.

Please submit your application (including a letter of motivation, CV, copies of certificates) by August 18, 2023 as one PDF file via email to the Dean of the School of Biology/Chemistry (Email: bewerb-bio@uni-osnabrueck.de).

Please contact Prof. Dr. Christian Kost (email: christian.kost@uni-osnabrueck.de, homepage: kostlab.com) for further information.

We are very much looking forward to receiving your application.