Are you looking for a PhD position focusing on the interplay between insects and their microbiomes? Are you a bioinformatician who wants to develop and apply computational methods for microbiome analysis and virus discovery using sequencing data sets? Then this PhD vacancy might be of interest to you.
In this PhD project, you will contribute to developing bioinformatics approaches for microbiome analyses in insects, with a focus on the virome. You will discover the microbiome players and reconstruct virus genomes from metagenomics sequencing data of individual whiteflies. You will then associate this information with additional meta-data (such as geographic location and host plant) and, additionally, zoom in on the co-occurrence of different microorganisms in individual whiteflies to reveal possible synergistic or antagonistic effects. This project will thus contribute to understanding the factors that shape the viromes of insects.
You will integrate data from public sources, from international collaborations and from individual insects to be sampled in the Netherlands. Beyond the scientific and potential application merits, you will build a network for your future career both within and outside Wageningen University.
You have:
- a successfully completed MSc degree in bioinformatics or a related field
- demonstrable experience in high-throughput sequencing data analysis and comparative genomics;
- proficiency in programming (e.g., python);
- affinity with virology, ecology, and molecular evolution;
- enthusiasm for working in close collaborations with experimental biologists;
- a proactive attitude and teamwork skills and are committed to obtaining a PhD;
- a very good level of oral and written English (you are required to show a certification of English skills)
For more information and an online application form (closing June 10, 2024), please visit www.wur.nl/nl/vacature/phd-position-in-insect-virome-analysis.htm