Scholarship Database

ch: PhD Student [MSc/diploma degree in molecular biology; backgrnd and/or a strong interest in bioinformatics; "Next generation sequencing for studying viruses and RNA silencing-based antiviral defense in model and crop plants"] / University of Basel & Fasteris AG; Geneva

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We are looking for a PhD student to work on a project “Next generation sequencing for studying viruses and RNA silencing-based antiviral defense in model and crop plants”.

We shall apply the Illumina deep-sequencing technology and develop bioinfomatic tools to study the viral genome, transcriptome and small RNA populations in experimentally infected Arabidopsis plants and naturally-infected crop plants with the ultimate goal to obtain knowledge for designing an effective RNA-based antiviral vaccine.

Virus-infected crop plants including rice, cassava, blackgram, cotton, banana and tomato, collected in fields worldwide, will be investigated by deep-sequencing of fractionated nucleic acids in order to (i) identify and de novo assemble complete genomes of newly emerging and resistance-breaking viruses, viral strains and viral satellites; (ii) determine the nucleotide polymorphism in virus populations; (iii) de novo assemble the viral transcriptome and (iv) create genome-wide maps of virus-derived siRNAs.

The project is part of a large COST action network with more than 20 member-countries (costfa0806.aua.gr).

A successful candidate should have a master/diploma degree in molecular biology and a background and/or a strong interest in bioinformatics.

The position is available from the 1st of January 2011; earlier or later starting dates will also be considered.

The working places will be:

1) Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
2) Fasteris AG, Geneva, Switzerland (www.fasteris.com)

The PhD project will be co-supervised by PD Dr. Mikhail Pooggin (University of Basel) and Dr. Laurent Farinelli (Fasteris AG).

Contact info:

Mikhail.Pooggin@unibas.ch

or

Laurent.Farinelli@fasteris.com