A 3-year Ph.D. position is available from 01 August 2012 at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insects are agriculturally important, because they are pollinators for many food plants, but also, because they can be serious agricultural pests, destroying about 30% of our annual harvest. Furthermore, insect can be vectors for serious diseases, such as malaria. Neuropeptides and their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a central role in the physiology of insects and steer important processes, such as reproduction, development and feeding. The Ph.D. project concerns the bioinformatic annotations of neuropeptide and GPCR genes in the many insect and other arthropod genomes that are currently becoming available and the use of comparative genomics. We are active consortium members of about 20 international Insect/Arthropod Genome Sequencing Consortia and there are even plans to sequence 5000 arthropod genomes within the next few years (the i5k project), meaning that genomics research will strongly increase in our laboratory. Although this Ph.D. research topic is mainly !
using bioinformatic tools, it might also include expression studies, where GPCRs will be cloned, expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and characterized using a cell-based bioluminescence bioassay. These bioassay techniques are well established in our laboratory.
For this Ph.D. position, the successful candidate should have a strong background in bioinformatics/comparative genomics, or possibly molecular endocrinology.
We are an international research team working in modern, well-equipped laboratories situated in a park area close to the center of Copenhagen. To apply and obtain further information for this position, please visit the website of our University http://www.ku.dk/english/
and select the deadline for application, which is 20 July 2012 (20/7/2012).
Cornelis Grimmelikhuijzen
cgrimmelikhuijzen@bio.ku.dk
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
