<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<job>
  <id type="integer">119163</id>
  <reference-id></reference-id>
  <requisition-number>AGR1016</requisition-number>
  <source>Naturejobs.com - Ecommerce</source>
  <company-url>http://www.agresearch.co.nz</company-url>
  <employer-url>http://www.agresearch.co.nz</employer-url>
  <application-email></application-email>
  <application-url>http://www.agresearch.co.nz/careers/vacancydetail.aspx?id=376327</application-url>
  <employer-name>AgResearch Limited</employer-name>
  <company-name>AgResearch Limited</company-name>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[*Grassland Campus
Ref: AGR1016*

The Food, Metabolism & Microbiology Section (FMM) in the Food & Textiles Group is looking for two PhD students in Microbial Evolutionary Genomics to take part in a Marsden-funded proposal investigating the effects of air on evolutionary processes. The positions will be based at AgResearch Grasslands in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with academic supervision from the New Zealand Institute of Advanced Study, Massey University, Albany.

Mutations provide an important source of population variation on which natural selection acts to enable organisms to adapt to new environments. The effects of aerobic (oxygen-containing) and anaerobic (oxygen-free) environments on mutation types, and the rates that mutations accumulate, are not well understood. We plan to conduct a detailed investigation into how aerobic and anaerobic environments affect the fundamental processes of evolution (mutation and adaptation) by examining the evolution of a model bacterium in these environments, and assessing genetic changes at the whole genome level to understand the biological mechanisms that contribute to genetic diversity and evolution.

The projects will involve the regular maintenance and analysis of evolving lineages of bacteria, and next generation sequencing technologies coupled with bioinformatic analyses to examine genomic and transcriptomic changes. The persons best suited to these projects will therefore have strong academic backgrounds in areas such as bioinformatics, ecology, evolution, population genetics, genomics, microbiology and molecular biology. Although the two PhD projects are closely related, ideally the two successful candidates will have particular strengths in:

*1. Molecular microbiology, genomics and bioinformatics, and*

*2. Ecology, bioinformatics where some basic computer programming skills will provide an advantage.*

FMM has a proud history of completing PhDs. We offer a stimulating research environment where the focus is very much on people, science excellence and keeping it ‘fun’. Enquires are welcome from individuals whose honours or masters degrees qualify them for admission into PhD study.

These positions include a PhD stipend of up to NZ$27,000 (tax free) per year for three years, plus tuition fees, research expenses and opportunities to attend conferences. 

*Applications must be made via our career site www.agresearch.co.nz/careers*

*If you have any questions regarding this position please email Catherine Cameron: catherine.cameron@agresearch.co.nz*

*Applications close 30 November 2009.*]]>
  </description>
  <location>Palmerston North, New Zealand</location>
  <title>PhD Students &#8211; Microbial Genomics and Evolution </title>
  <created-on type="datetime">Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:07:04 -0500</created-on>
  <expires-on type="datetime">Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500</expires-on>
  <url>http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/119163-PhD-Students-Microbial-Genomics-and-Evolution</url>
  <packages>
  </packages>
</job>
