The Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen is looking to fill the position of
ERC-funded position as a three-Year Postdoctoral Researcher
(all genders welcome).
Regular working hours will be 39.8 hours per week with a limited contract of three years. This position should be filled by 1 January 2027. Salary: Pay grade 13 TV-L 100 %. This position is suitable for part-time work.
We are seeking a highly motivated wet-lab postdoctoral researcher to join an ERC-funded research program investigating how plants maintain vertically inherited symbionts upon external biotic stress.
This position focuses on defense signaling in the water fern Azolla, which lives in permanent symbiosis with a nitrogen fixing symbiont. It aims to develop tools to manipulate defense signaling in the fern, use molecular and biochemical methods to characterize the function of candidate genes/proteins including complementation approaches, phenotyping tissue- and development-specific defense responses in host and symbiont and integrating large-scale transcriptomic and metabolomic datasets with phenotypic responses to biotic threads to understand the responsive genetic network. Experimental systems include
- the water fern Azolla
- model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Marchantia polymorpha
- the facultative cyanobacterial symbioses between Nostoc and the hornwort Anthoceros agrestis
60 million years ago the water fern Azolla took up a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and since then all species in this genus vertically inherit the cyanobacterium from generation to generation. Among land plants such evolutionary stable, vertical inheritance is rare. The two organisms co-ordinate their life cycles and death of one means death of the other—none of the two partners can live alone. The symbiont shows clear signatures of genomic decay leading to its host dependencies. Yet, the molecular communication with which this symbiosis is coordinated is only little understood. In the past years, we have pinpointed defense signaling as a component in this communication and identified the first molecular candidates for chemical communication. Now we want to put these candidates to the test and understand how integration of stress responses can maintain symbiotic persistence over millions of years.
Your profile
We seek a scientist who thrives at the interface of molecular genetics and systems biology.
Required
* M.Sc. in Biology, Biochemistry or related field
* PhD in plant biology, molecular biology, cell biology, or related field
* Strong experience in at least one of the following:
* CRISPR/Cas9 or plant transformation
* Protein biochemistry
* Metabolomic and/or transcriptomic analyses
* Experience with microscopy for in-depth phenotyping
* Demonstrated publication record
* Ability to independently drive complex experimental projects
Highly Desirable
* Plant-microbe interactions (beneficial and/or pathogenic)
* Interest in evolutionary biology
* Collaborative mindset and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary science
* Experience in working with non-model organisms
The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference.
Please send your application that includes a CV, publication list, motivation letter, and the names as well as contact information of at least two references in electronic form till November 20 th, 2026 to
Dr. Sophie de Vries
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Institute for Microbiology and Genetics
Applied Bioinformatics
Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3
37077 Göttingen
e-mail: sophie.devries@uni-goettingen.de
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Sophie de Vries:
phone: +49 551 39 21693 || e-mail: sophie.devries@uni-goettingen.de.
Please note:
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