PhD student to the Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics

Om arbetsplatsenThe Swedish Museum of Natural History is a government agency with a mandate to promote knowledge, research and interest in our world. It is a prominent research institution and Sweden's largest museum. For more than 200 years, the museum has been collecting specimens and data and conducting research on life on earth. The collections contain more than 11 million plants, animals, fungi, environmental samples, minerals and fossils. All research and knowledge are shared in the exhibitions, Cosmonova and in activities at the museum and digitally.The Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics at the Swedish Museum of Natural History is seeking a motivated PhD candidate for a four-year position focusing on the role of structural variants in woolly mammoth and woolly rhino adaptation and extinction. The PhD student will be supervised by Dr. Tom van der Valk and co-supervised by Prof. Love Dalén at the Centre for Palaeogenetics.ArbetsuppgifterUsing new samples as well as already generated high-coverage genomes, the project will develop and apply novel methods to detect structural variants in ancient DNA and explore their functional consequences. Specific aims include: Developing computational methods for identifying structural variants from degraded ancient DNA data. Building pangenome graphs to map structural variation across woolly mammoth and woolly rhino populations. Investigating the potential role of structural variants in adaptation to the Arctic environment. Assessing how genomic structural changes may have contributed to population decline and extinction.The project integrates ancient DNA laboratory work (sample preparation and sequencing) with bioinformatics and computational genomics, providing training across both wet and dry lab research.KvalifikationerTo be eligible, applicants must have: A Masters degree in biology, bioinformatics, genetics, or a related field. Demonstrated skills in molecular biology and/or DNA laboratory work. Documented experience in computational genomics, including analysis of whole-genome sequencing data. Strong written and spoken English skills.The following qualifications will be considered advantageous: Experience with molecular and computational tools to analyse ancient DNA Familiarity with methods for detecting structural variants. Research experience related to megafaunal extinction or evolutionary genomics. Proficiency in bioinformatics tools, bash command-line scripting, and programming in Python and/or R. Experience working with high-performance computing (HPC) clusters.We seek a candidate who is analytical, motivated, and able to work both independently and collaboratively.Övrig informationWe advance our knowledge of the natural world, inspiring better care of our planet. Our ambition is that the employees of the Swedish Museum of Natural History shall represent the diversity of Sweden, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.We have made decisions regarding marketing channels and therefore decline contact with recruitment agencies and advertising sellers.