Postdoctoral Researcher in Molecular Ecology and Bioinformatics for GorBEEa Project
Job Summary
The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in the bioinformatic and molecular analyses of the project, while also contributing to field data collection, manuscript preparation and the communication of results. The position offers excellent opportunities for further training and career development in molecular ecology and computational biology.
The project will involve the processing and analysis of metabarcoding datasets to characterize plant, pollinator and pollinator gut microbiota communities, the development and application of bioinformatic pipelines for DNA and RNA sequence analysis, network analysis, statistical modelling and simulations. Field activities will include data collection on plant-pollinator interaction frequencies, assessments of plant reproductive success, and plant biomass and richness estimates.
Job Description & Benefits
Key responsibilities:
Lead the development and implementation of bioinformatic pipelines for the processing of metabarcoding and genomic data
Perform quality control, taxonomic assignment and downstream ecological analysis of DNA and RNA sequence data
Integrate molecular data with ecological network analyses to investigate drivers of stability in plant and pollinator communities
Collaborate in field data collection
Write and co-author scientific manuscripts
Present results at national and international conferences
Main requirements/skills:
PhD or equivalent in Biology, Bioinformatics, Environmental Sciences or a related field
Demonstrated experience in bioinformatic analysis, including the processing of metabarcoding or amplicon sequencing data (e.g., DADA2, QIIME2, OBITools or similar pipelines)
Proficiency in at least one scripting or programming language commonly used in bioinformatics (e.g., R, Python, Bash)
Previous laboratory experience in DNA extraction, PCR and library preparation
Keen interest in plant and pollinator communities and molecular ecology
Motivation, curiosity, creativity and strong ability for problem-solving through critical analytical thinking
Ability to work with a high degree of independence
Good communication skills, fluency in English, sense of teamwork and commitment to high-quality research
Driver’s license and previous experience driving a four-wheel drive vehicle
The position may require international travel on an as-needed basis
Experience with ecological network analysis
Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) environments
Previous experience working on plant-pollinator or similar community ecology projects
Fluency in Basque or Spanish
