We are looking for a postdoc! see details below!
Genomics of eco-evolutionary dynamics in spruce bark beetle
Position fully funded by NCN OPUS grant.
krystyna.nadachowska @ uj.edu.pl
About the project
One of the central goals of evolutionary biology is to understand how natural selection works and how it operates at the genomic level. In particular, rapid adaptation, where strong selection leads to drastic phenotypic changes within a few generations, has been at the center of recent scientific debate. In part, this is because while identifying the molecular basis of rapid and often polygenic evolutionary responses at the phenotypic level has proven difficult, several recent studies have suggested that genome-wide rapid adaptation can be detected and quantified using temporal genomic data and appropriate statistical analyses. In addition, an increasing number of recent studies have suggested that polymorphic inversions may be key drivers of rapid adaptation. This changing perspective, but also methodological advances, indicate that there is an urgent need to revisit long-standing questions in the field of evolutionary genetics and eco-evolutionary dynamics, such as: Can populations continuously adapt to changing environments (via adaptive tracking)? What is the genomic architecture of such adaptation? Or, does fluctuating selection acting on multiple loci across the genome play a critical role in rapid adaptation?
The main goal of this project is to address several hypotheses about the nature of rapid adaptation by characterizing the temporal genome-wide dynamics of allele frequencies in multiple populations of the spruce bark beetle. In particular, we will test whether the bark beetle is under temporally fluctuating selection, whether it is more frequent than directional selection, and whether it affects large parts of the species genome. We aim to identify sets of SNPs that show significant changes in allele frequencies over short periods of time, and to identify genes and pathways associated with directional and fluctuating selection. In addition, we will take advantage of the extremely complex genomic landscape of polymorphic inversions discovered in the spruce bark beetle and test whether polymorphic inversions are important drivers of rapid adaptation within the species. We will also identify potential abiotic factors that generate fluctuations in selection and force specific genomic regions to continuously respond to environmental changes (outside and inside inversions). Finally, we will quantify the effect of linked selection on linked neutral sites on ecological timescales, the effect of which is particularly understudied on short temporal scales.
To address the main questions of the project, we will use extensive temporal data sets from several spruce bark beetle populations collected over the course of several generations, we will use a combination of short-read pooled sequencing and long-read nanopore sequencing approaches, and we will apply state-of-the-art population genetics and statistical analyses. The results of the project will shed light on fundamental evolutionary questions regarding the role and prevalence of adaptive tracking of rapidly changing environments, the role of polymorphic inversions in rapid adaptation, and the genomic scale of fluctuating selection in natural populations. We believe that this proposal is a unique example of research that aims to shed light on multilocus fluctuating selection in the context of an extremely inversion-rich genome, and as such will have a high impact on the advancement of the field.
About the place
The Posdoc will be based at one of the top research institutes in the fields of Ecology and Evolution in Central Europe – Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland (www.eko.uj.edu.pl/en_GB). Krakow is a beautiful city with a dynamic cultural life (European City of Culture 2000; more than 100 festivals and other events organized every year; modern museums, cinemas, theaters, restaurants etc). It has good access to outdoor activities (biking, hiking and more) and is well-connected to the rest of Europe.
Requirements and details
The successful candidate will have an PhD degree in a relevant field by June 2025 (or no more than 7 years ago, possible extensions e.g. parental leave). We are looking for a person with strong interest in Evolution, Molecular Ecology, Population Genetics and/or Genomics as well as experience with Bioinformatics; and strong English language, communication, and organizational skills.
The position is for 3 years (after successful probation) and the salary is 140k pln/year before tax.
If you are interested please send a cover letter explaining your background, skills, and interest in the project, a CV, and contact details of two academics who are willing to provide a reference, to Dr. Krystyna Nadachowska-Brzyska (krystyna.nadachowska @ uj.edu.pl).
The review of applications is ongoing; please apply by 15th January 2025 to ensure full consideration. The starting day for the position is 03.06.2025 (but can be negotiable!).