Dear Marmam subscribers, A postdoctoral research assistant position is available in a project analysing genome wide variation in striped dolphins in relation to Morbillivirus infection. The work will carried out in the cetacean ecology and evolution research group led by Dr Andre E. Moura at the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MIZ-PAS). We are re-advertising this position, as the previous round got disturbed by the Covid19 lockdowns. It is still a dynamic situation, so if you are interested in applying but worried about time frame, please do get in touch and we will find a workable solution. The position is available for 30 months, and includes a three month probation period. The ideal start date is August 2020, although there is of course flexibility to account for the current pandemic situation. The research group is based at the Research Station of the MIZ-PAS in Gdańsk, and maintains strong links with the main research facilities of the MIZ in Warsaw. Therefore, research visits at the main MIZ facilities in Warsaw may be required as part of the job duties. The Research Station also hosts groups working on canid genomics and avian immunogenetics. The post-doctoral assistant will possess expertise in evolutionary genomics, population genomics or bioinformatics. Candidates can have a background (BSc or MSc degree) in biology, zoology, bioinformatics, computer science, or related fields, and a PhD degree (awarded or to be awarded soon) in a relevant area. The PhD degree should have been awarded no earlier than 7 years before the start of employment. The candidate must be eligible to work in Poland at the time of appointment. A list of required skills can be seen at the end of this message. To apply, the following documents should be sent to Andre Moura at avmoura@miiz.waw.pl no later than 28.06.2020: 1. Copy of a PhD certificate 2. Curriculum vitae including a publication list, with the following statement provided at the end and signed: “I give my consent to the processing of personal data provided in my application documents by the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS for the purpose of the recruitment process, pursuant to the Personal Data Protection Act of 10 May 2018 (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1000) and in agreement with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation; L 119 from 04.05.2016)”. IMPORTANT: Applications that do not include this statement cannot be processed. 3. Motivation letter (maximum one page) 4. A copy of one research paper to be evaluated in the recruitment process 5. Contact details of two persons who can be contacted for references. The interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place in early July, and will be held by teleconference (Skype, Zoom, etc.). Interviews in person at the Research Station in Gdańsk-Górki Wschodnie are possible, but only if it is logistically feasible and safe to do so. Informal inquiries can also be addressed to Andre Moura. Essential skills: 1. Experience with preparing NGS libraries and processing NGS data 2. Good knowledge of evolutionary theory and/or population genetic theory 3. Experience of Linux/Unix environment; 4. Experience with at least one coding language (e.g. Python, Perl, Unix Shell scripts); 5. Good organisational skills; 6. Experience with large databases; 7. Ability to work independently and to communicate with a multi-disciplinary team; Desirable skills: 8. Experience with analysing whole-genome datasets, aligning to reference genomes, SNP detection; 9. Experience with software for evolutionary genomic analyses; 10. Experience with online genomic databases; 11. Good understanding of natural selection theory; 12. Good understanding of mammalian immune system; 13. Experience of working in an international team. Research environment The research at the MIZ is focused on a broad range of themes in animal biology, including systematics, biogeography, evolutionary biology, ecology and population genetics. Andre Moura research group is part of the Laboratory of the Molecular and Biometric Techniques led by Prof. Wieslaw Bogdanowicz, grouping researchers focused on population genetics, phylogeography and evolutionary genomics of a broad range of animal taxa. MIZ laboratories contain modern equipment for genomic analyses, including Pacific Biosciences RSII long-read sequencer and Illumina MiSeq System. The state-of-the-art ancient DNA laboratory carries out work on mammalian palaeogenetics. The Museum zoological collection is among the largest and most valuable in Europe.