PhD student and Postdoctoral positions in carnivorous plant biology
The newly founded research group of Kenji Fukushima at the University ofWürzburg is seeking 2 PhD students and 1 Postdoctoral researcher. The successful
applicants will participate in the research project “Dissecting the common
evolutionary route to carnivorous plants” funded by the Sofja Kovalevskaja
Programme of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation (granted to KF, Oct 2018 –Sep 2023) in which the evolution of carnivorous plants will be studied by combining
bioinformatics and molecular biology. In particular, the project will focus onconvergent genomic evolution and in planta functions of carnivory-related genes
such as developmental regulators, digestive enzymes, and nutrient transporters.
While many carnivorous species will be analyzed at transcriptome/genome levels,
the heterophyllous pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis (photo) will be mainly used in laboratory.
The posts are available from February 2019. The start date is fairly flexible. Salary and benefits are according
to the public service positions in Germany (TV-L, Tarifvertrag der Länder). The exact amount of salary will vary
according to the pay grade (Stufe) and the pay scale (Entgeltgruppe) which will be determined by the applicant’s
track record. If all requirements are met, the pay scale of E13 will be applied to both PhD student and postdoc
positions. The PhD student positions are part-time (Arbeitszeit: 65%) and the postdoc position is full-time(Arbeitszeit: 100%). Salary estimation is available online (for example, here). The PhD student positions will befunded for 3 years. The postdoc position will be initially funded for 2 years with possible extension until
September 2023.
Minimum qualifications:• PhD degree (postdoc) or Master degree (PhD student) in Plant Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genomics,Bioinformatics, or a related discipline (candidates having a Bachelor degree with excellent grades may
be considered; 1–2 years of a master program enrollment is necessary before the PhD program)• Strong interest in evolutionary biology and plant biology• Ability to work independently and as a team member
Preferred qualifications:• Sound knowledge and skills in plant molecular biology• Sound knowledge and skills in statistics and bioinformatics• Experience in high-throughput DNA sequencing• A good record of publications in peer-reviewed journals
Application: Application and inquiries should be addressed to Kenji Fukushima by email ( kenji.fukushima@uniwuerzburg.de ). The closing date for applications will be 31st January 2018. Review of applications will begin
immediately and continue until the positions are filled. The University of Würzburg aims to increase the numberof women in those areas where they are underrepresented. Therefore, women are especially encouraged toapply for this position. Physically handicapped persons will be preferred in case they are equally qualified. Allapplications should be submitted as a single pdf file containing:• A cover letter including the statement of interest• A CV including a list of publications• Names and contact details of at least two professional references
Research: For details, please see our website or our previous publications:
1. Fukushima and Pollock, 2018. Amalgamated cross-species transcriptomes indicate organ-specificpreadaptation for functional shifts in gene expression. bioRxiv 409888
2. Fukushima et al., 2017. Genome of the pitcher plant Cephalotus reveals genetic changes associated withcarnivory. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1: 59
3. Fukushima et al., 2015. Oriented cell division shapes carnivorous pitcher leaves of Sarracenia purpurea.
Nature Communications 6: 6450
4. Fukushima and Hasebe, 2014. Adaxial-abaxial polarity: The developmental basis of leaf shape diversity.
Genesis 52(1): 1-18