Postdoctor in infection biology with a focus on vector-borne viruses

Department of Biomedicine and Veterinary Public Health Sciences

The Department of Biomedical Sciences and veterinary public health belongs to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, and is responsible for teaching, research and PhD education in Pathology, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Immunology, Virology, Bacteriology, Food-Safety, Parasitology and Epizootology. 

Description of the project

Vector-borne viruses i.e. viruses that are transmitted to animals and/or humans with the help of different arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks are a major global problem that is expected to even further increase due to factors such as environmental changes, globalisation etc. For most of these viruses antivirals as well as vaccines are lacking and therefor there is a urgent need for new control strategies.  Therefore, in this project we will investigate the interaction between two important vector-borne virus groups (bunya- and flavivirus) and their vector (mosquito) as well as their animal host with the aim to identify host factors that can stop their replication in these hosts. To study this, in vitro infection RNA-seq experiments using both animal and mosquito cell lines  will be performed as well as more in detail investigations of host-factors of particular interest through e.g. gene silencing and overexpression. In addition, in vivo trials of mosquito infections are planned.

Duties

The postdoc will be responsible for designing, developing, conducting, and analysing molecular, as well as bioinformatics, experiments, with the support of the project leader as well as the other project members. If needed, training for the mosquito in vivo experiments will be provided by one of the project members. Other duties include writing of scientific manuscripts, presenting project outcomes at conferences and workshops, and communicating with stakeholders. Supervising bachelor or master’s students can be included if the opportunity arises. 

Qualifications

The candidate should hold a PhD degree in biology, infection biology, virology, veterinary medicine or a similar subject. Merits are previous research experience in one or several areas: virology, infection biology, in vitro cell/virus experiments, in vivo work with mosquitoes, molecular biology and bioinformatics (e.g. RNAseq analysis). The candidates should be fluent in spoken and written English. The candidate must be capable of independent planning, execution and evaluation of experiments or theoretical work. As a person you are enthusiastic and responsible and have excellent collaborative skills. Personal skills are therefore an important part of the evaluation.

As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is three years old at most.

Place of work:

Uppsala, Sweden

Form of employment

Temporary employment 24 months, with the possibility of extension.

Extent

100%

Starting date

According to agreement

Application

We welcome your application no later than 2023-02-09

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.

SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.

www.slu.se