The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a dynamic and innovation-driven university centrally located in Germany. With a broad range of disciplines, it shapes the future through excellent research and teaching. Its scientific excellence is reflected in the profile lines Light – Life – Libert y, which provide pioneering insights and sustainable solutions for the society of tomorrow. Through close collaborations with leading research institutions, innovative companies, and renowned cultural organizations, it advances interdisciplinary developments. With around 17,000 students and approximately 10,000 employees, it defines Jena as a vibrant, internationally connected city of science and innovation.

The professorship of the Viral Ecology and Omics (VEO) seeks to fill the position of a:

PhD bioinformatics student
“Mapping the Microverse: Everything is Everywhere?”

commencing on the 1st of July 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
We offer a part-time position (75%, 30 hours per week) initially offered as a fixed-term position until the 31st of August 2027. A total contract term of four years is planned.

You will be embedded in the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse ( microverse-cluster.de ). The Cluster combines expertise in life, material, optical and computational sciences to elucidate fundamental principles of the interactions and functions in microbial communities in diverse habitats. We aim to identify the shared characteristics of disrupted or polluted ecosystems as well as infectious diseases on the microbiome level and develop strategies for their remediation by targeted interventions.

The Viral Ecology and Omics Group ( veo.uni-jena.de ) aims to study the role of viruses in the Microverse. To do this, we combine microbiological and eco/evolutionary experiments with molecular biology, microscopy, (meta) genomics, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling. Our wet lab manager oversees a level S1/S2 wet lab featuring a state-of-the-art laboratory automation system with high throughput automatic plate reader, microscopy, microbiology, and molecular biology facilities. Our dry lab manager supports access to bioinformatics tools and databases on the FSU high-performance compute cluster consisting of 100 CPU and 8 GPU nodes, plus a 4Tb fat node with access to global genomic and metagenomic datasets on our 2+ petabyte storage disks.

The global Microverse is one of the most complex systems known to mankind. Is there structure, what does it look like? In this PhD project, you will collaborate closely with a wet lab PhD student to address the question, which microbes and viruses are where, and why? We will discuss the project during the application rounds, and you will have the opportunity to help shape it to fit your interests and expertise.

Your responsibilities:

• In conjunction with your advisor, design and perform analyzes to address our questions.
• Analyze your results in the context of literature and public (meta-) 'omics data.
• Take initiative to communicate and discuss your results with wet- and dry-lab group members.
• Report your findings in publications and presentation at international scientific platforms.
• Support Master students and undergraduate project students.

Your profile:

• A MSc in bioinformatics, microbial ecology, or related discipline.
• Specialist knowledge and hands-on expertise in metagenomics, viromics, community modeling, or metabolic modeling.
• Strong motivation, excellent organizational skills and ability to contribute to a friendly and collaborative working environment in a cross-disciplinary scientific research group.
• Excellent communication in English is required, both written and spoken. Fluency in German and other languages is advantageous.

We offer:

• A 75% funded position (30 hours per week).
• Embedding in a highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary research group that is world-leading in viral and microbial ecology.
• Excellent equipment and infrastructure, both experimental and computational.
• Affiliation to the Jena School for Microbial Communication, a graduate school offering a comprehensive education program to train your hard skills and soft skills.
• Jena – City of Science: a young and vibrant town with a vibrant local cultural agenda. Jena is among the most liveable cities in Germany. Situated on the Saale River and surrounded by the famous Thuringian Forest, this city is ideal for lovers of nature and hiking.
• Remuneration based on the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Federal States (TV-L) up to salary scale E 13 (depending on the candidate's personal qualifications) including a special annual payment in accordance with the collective agreement.
• 30 days of vacation per calendar year plus two days off on December 24 and 31

To promote gender equality in science, applications by women are especially invited. Candidates with severe disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.

Are you eager to work with us? Then apply by the 28th of April 2025 using our online form. Applications in English should comprise a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae including a list of your publications, copies of academic certificates and names and contact details of two references.