PhD Fellow in Evolutionary Biochemistry

UiT The Arctic University of Norway; Tromsø; On-site; NOK 480,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø invites applications for a four-year PhD position in Evolutionary Biochemistry within the Host–Microbe Interaction (HMI) group. The project focuses on AMR evolution at the enzymatic level, combining ancestral reconstruction, directed evolution and crystallography under Dr.

Christopher Frøhlich. You will work on independent research, contribute to publications, and engage in teaching activities during the fourth year.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in molecular biology, microbiology, chemistry or equivalent education; must show progress toward defence or a completed degree.
• Experience in at least two areas: cloning, protein expression/purification, enzymatic characterization or X-ray crystallography.
• Proficient oral and written English; ability to work in an international environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage own research project within the LacZymes project under supervision.
• Design and execute experiments for enzyme evolution and selection.
• Produce and purify enzymes and perform biochemical characterization.
• Perform structural and functional characterization of enzymes.
• Write scientific papers and the PhD thesis; present work nationally and internationally.

Skills

Molecular cloning

Protein expression

Enzymatic characterization

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in molecular biology or related field

Tools

Python

PyMOL

X-ray crystallography

Job description

A 4-year PhD position in Evolutionary Biochemistry is available at the Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, within the Host–Microbe Interaction (HMI) research group. The position is part of the LacZymes project, led by Dr. Christopher Frøhlich.

The position

A 4-year PhD position in Evolutionary Biochemistry is available at the Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, within the Host–Microbe Interaction (HMI) research group. The position is part of the LacZymes project, led by Dr. Christopher Frøhlich.

General information about the position

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25% each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the positionwithin a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The project

Do you hold a Master’s degree in molecular biology (or a related field) and have a strong interest in the molecular mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance development? Are you motivated to conduct interdisciplinary research at one of the northernmost universities in the world? If so, this PhD position may be of interest to you.

The successful candidate will join a project aiming to uncover the molecular mechanisms of AMR evolution at the enzymatic level. To address this, the project integrates ancestral sequence reconstruction, directed evolution, pre‑steady‑state and steady‑state enzyme kinetics, and X‑ray crystallography. Candidates with experience in one or more of these areas are encouraged to apply.

The PhD candidate will report to Dr. Christopher Frøhlich and is expected to contribute actively to the project while developing expertise at the interface of molecular biology, enzymology, and evolutionary biology.

The PhD candidate will work on the following tasks:

• Manage their own research project
• Experimental design and execution
• Enzyme evolution and selection
• Enzyme production and purification
• Biochemical enzyme characterization
• Structural and functional characterization
• Writing scientific papers and a PhD thesis
• Presenting the work in national and international arenas

Personal characteristics

The applicant should be motivated, creative and ambitious, with a strong ability to work problem‑solution orientated both in teams and independently. The applicant should be genuinely interested in the field of molecular evolution and AMR as well as scientific dissemination. In the evaluation of which applicant is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in this position announcement. The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD fellow

Applicants are required to submit a motivation letter describing how the position aligns with their research interests.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact Dr. Christopher Frøhlich:

• phone: [phone]
• email: [e-mail]

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• Master’s degree in molecular biology, microbiology, chemistry or equivalent education, with a grade of C or better. Candidates who have not yet completed their Master’s education must submit a written statement from their main supervisor stating the tentative date of their Master’s defence.
• Experience in at least two of the following areas: molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, biochemical characterization of enzymes (e.g. kinetic investigations), X‑ray crystallography
• Documented oral and written English skills

Applicants must document fluency of in English and be able to work in an international environment. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is also beneficial.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in the field of AMR and AMR mechanisms
• Experience in coding (e.g. Python) and competence with computer-based analytical tools (e.g., Pymol)
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language
• Experience in writing publications
• Experience in a biosafety level-2 laboratory environment

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant’s potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. (The motivation letter will also be considered.) In addition, professional experience and other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme will be taken into consideration.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:

• Abachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS.
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.

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