PhD Student

As part of the recently funded European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC StG) project DIADAPT, “Climate impacts on diatom genomes over micro- and macroevolutionary timescales”, we offer a fully-funded PhD position.

Diatoms are a group of highly diverse, globally dominant microalgae which contribute significantly to global carbon fixation and biogeochemical cycling. Understanding how diatoms adapt to changes in their environment is therefore a major research interest. However, whereas the phenotypic outcomes of adaptation have received considerable attention, we understand little about the genomic underpinnings of evolution and adaptation in diatoms. Within DIADAPT, we will investigate the genomic processes that underlie adaptation to climate shifts in diatoms by integrating lab experiments with comparative genomics and transcriptomics on diatoms that inhabit different environments (aquatic, terrestrial) and climate zones.

• You will perform laboratory experiments aimed at revealing the thermal niches of various diatom species.
• You will obtain and analyze genomes and transcriptomes from various diatom species, including comparative genomics/transcriptomics and differential expression analysis.
• You will integrate experimental and genomic data to identify the evolutionary genetic background of climate adaptation in diatoms.
• Data management and curation is an important aspect of your project.
• You will be encouraged to contribute to science communication.
• You will work in the Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology (PAE) at Ghent University’s Department of Biology, under supervision of prof. Eveline Pinseel.

• You hold a Master’s degree of Biology, or a Master of Bioscience Engineering, or a Master of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, or a Master of Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management, or equivalent. The degree requirement needs to be fulfilled at the start of your appointment. Students who obtain their master’s degree this academic year can therefore apply.
• You have a strong interest in microbiology, adaptation, and genomics.
• You are a critical, analytic thinker. You work with rigor and you have a keen eye for detail.
• You are a driven, hard-working person, committed to obtain a PhD degree.
• You have good oral and written communication skills, and are fluent in English.
• You are keen to combine laboratory experiments with bioinformatic analyses.
• Preferably you have experience using R and/or Python, and/or you have programming skills in bash or another scripting language.

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start the earliest on September 1st 2025.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel
• Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

We invite applications from highly motivated candidates with a passion for protist and/or adaptation research. Please send any inquiries to prof. Eveline Pinseel (eveline.pinseel@ugent.be), or check our research website for more information (https://evelinepinseel.weebly.com/).

Send your application via email to prof. Eveline Pinseel (eveline.pinseel@ugent.be) as a single PDF document until the 26th of May 2025. Applications should include a motivation letter, CV, diplomas including study results, and contacts of two potential referees. If not otherwise possible, diplomas can be send in a separate PDF document.

We do not accept late applications.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.