Postdoc position in single-cell RNA-sequencing

We offer a 30-month postdoc position starting November 1st 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Research area and project:
Associate professor Stig U. Andersen’s group studies the effects of natural variation in plants, microbes, and their interactions and has developed extensive genetic and genomic resources for the model legume Lotus japonicus (1–3).

The work will be focused on single-cell analysis of rhizobium infection of plant root hairs. So far, legume-rhizobium interactions have been investigated at the level of plant organs or tissue types, and it remains unclear what cellular events are characteristic of the few root hair cells that allow intracellular rhizobium infection to proceed. You will use single-cell RNA-sequencing to investigate this question, exploiting rhizobium natural variation to facilitate identification of relevant cell populations and validating candidate genes using LORE1 mutants (1).

Your profile
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a keen interest in single-cell approaches that is able to solve problems independently and enjoys working at the interface between biology and data science in collaborative projects. Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Experience with scRNA-seq, NGS library preparation, legume-rhizobium interactions and plant molecular genetics is an advantage.

Employment and place of work
You will be part of dynamic study environments at the section for Plant Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, where work is focused on the study of plant-microbe interactions. The research environment is cross-disciplinary with PIs specialized in bioinformatics, biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology and genetics. Associate prof. Stig U. Andersen, assistant prof. Dugald Reid and prof. Mikkel Heide Schierup collaborate on single-cell RNA-seq at Aarhus University, allowing you to interact closely with PhD students and postdocs dedicated to single-cell research. Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark with top museums and dining available in a relaxed atmosphere (https://www.visitaarhus.com). The campus is located within walking distance of the city center, providing easy student access to all the city has to offer.

Work address and area of Employment:
The place of work is Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.

Contact information
Further information about the position may be obtained from:
Associate professor Stig U. Andersen, [email protected]

1. Malolepszy, A. et al. The LORE1 insertion mutant resource. The Plant journal 88, 306–317 (2016).
2. Shah, N. et al. Extreme genetic signatures of local adaptation during Lotus japonicus colonization of Japan. Nature communications 11, 253–15 (2020).
3. Kawaharada, Y. et al. Natural variation identifies a Pxy gene controlling vascular organisation and formation of nodules and lateral roots in Lotus japonicus. New Phytol 23

Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range
Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

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.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,000 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 885 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/

Deadline: 15 August 2021
Kilde: Jobnet.dk