Composition and population dynamics of the gastrointestinal virome in animals

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Animal Science programme. The position is available from 1 June 2024 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title
Composition and population dynamics of the gastrointestinal virome in animals

Research area and project description
The aims of the project are to use existing gastrointestinal metagenomic data and to generate additional metagenomic data from samples collected from animals to (1) characterise the composition and phylogenetic diversity of the gastrointestinal viromes across animal species in healthy and disease conditions and to (2) investigate the virome population dynamics in response to external stressors such as e.g. dietary interventions.

The selected applicant will initially develop a more comprehensive research/PhD plan together with the main supervisor Prof. Soren Alexandersen. The project will require applying molecular biology and bioinformatic methods relevant to conducting metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing of DNA and RNA as well as detailed bioinformatic analysis workflows, needed to detect and characterise the presence of host viruses, bacteriophages and other viruses, for example those originating from feed (e.g., plant or insect viruses of potential veterinary interest).

The selected PhD-student will become part of a newly established teaching and research environment around veterinary virology and pathology. This area includes a full-time Professor and a full-time Associate Professor together with access to e.g. a routine histopathology laboratory and state of the art facilities for conducting infection experiments in cell culture and animals. The supervisory team will also include a Research Scientist with additional expertise in virology and population dynamics and a Professor of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology.

Project description
For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences
We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic candidate with a Master’s degree in Veterinary Science, Animal Science, Molecular Biology, or other disciplines with relevant specialisation within virology. The ideal candidate should have expertise or experience with different aspects related to e.g. virus enrichment and metagenomic sequencing and will be expected to have the background needed for extensive sequence database searches. While experience in metagenomic analysis is advantageous, it is not essential as training will be provided.

Applicants should be capable of taking the studies from the sample to the molecule to actual practical use, i.e. be able to see the practical context of new knowledge developed in the project and translate it into practical applications.

Further requirements include fluency in English, good writing and verbal communication skills, independence, teamwork, and the willingness to contribute to the teaching in the two educations at Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (Animal Science and Veterinary Science) and other relevant activities within veterinary virology and pathology.

Place of employment and place of work
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is AU-Viborg, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Søren Alexandersen, [email protected] (main supervisor)
• Anna Schönherz, [email protected] (co-supervisor)

How to apply
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 29 April 2024 at 23:59 CEST

Preferred starting date is 1 June 2024

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.