Doctoral Student – Food Systems Biotechnology in Zürich

100%, Zurich, temporary

The Food Systems Biotechnology (FSB) group () in the Department of Health Science and Technology has an open doctoral (PhD) student position. The FSB group develops bioinformatics methods and software for microbiome research, including QIIME 2 (), and applies these tools to study microbial ecosystems at the interfaces of foods, food systems, and human health.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate to join the FSB group as a doctoral student. Active projects are available in the following areas, and applicants should submit a short (1-2 page) project proposal relating to one of the following research themes:

• Microbial ecology of food products and/or food production systems
• Computational modeling of microbial dynamics in the human microbiome
• Development of computational methods and software for studying microbiomes (e.g., metagenome, marker-gene, metabolome, or other "omics" data)

Final details of the doctoral project will be based on the expertise and goals of the selected candidate. This is a doctoral (PhD) student position, but exceptional candidates may be considered for other positions.

You are a self-motivated scientist with outstanding academic qualifications, superb inter-personal and written communication skills, and enthusiasm to engage with a collaborative team of scientists. Experience working with microorganisms and/or bioinformatics tools is required. Experience in microbiome research is an advantage. Doctoral students are expected to disseminate research findings in conference talks and journal articles, and excellent written and spoken English language skills are required.

The successful candidate must also have a Masters degree (or equivalent) in Microbiology, Food Science, Biotechnology, Biology, Bioinformatics, or a related area.

Key Qualifications

• Masters-level degree in a relevant field (see above)
• Experience in microbiology and/or bioinformatics
• Excellent interpersonal communication, teamwork and organizational skills
• English language proficiency

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working with microbiome (marker gene, metagenome) or other omics data
• Programming experience (Python, R, UNIX/bash scripting)
• Evidence of effective scientific communication (publications and/or open-source software projects)

 

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