Doktorand : in Bioinformatik : Virale Strategien im globalen Mikrokosmos

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a dynamic and innovation-driven university centrally located in Germany. With a broad range of disciplines, it shapes the future through excellent research and teaching. Its scientific excellence is reflected in the profile areas Light – Life – Liberty, which provide pioneering insights and sustainable solutions for the society of tomorrow. Through close collaborations with leading research institutions, innovative companies, and renowned cultural organizations, it advances interdisciplinary developments. With around 17,000 students and approximately 10,000 employees, it defines Jena as a vibrant, internationally connected city of science and innovation.

The professorship of the Viral Ecology and Omics (VEO) seeks to fill the position of a :

PhD student bioinformatics :

Viral strategies in the global Microverse

commencing on 01 April 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. We offer a part-time position (75%, 30 hours per week) for four years.

The Viral Ecology and Omics Group (veo.uni-jena.de) aims to study the role of viruses in the Microverse. To do this, we combine microbiological and eco / evolutionary experiments with molecular biology, microscopy, (meta-) genomics, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and computational modelling. Our wet lab manager oversees a level S1 / S2 wet lab featuring a state-of-the-art laboratory automation system with high throughput automatic plate reader, microscopy, microbiology, and molecular biology facilities. Our dry lab manager supports access to bioinformatics tools and databases on the FSU high-performance compute cluster, which consists of ~100 CPU and 12 GPU nodes, dedicated interactive and visualization nodes, and five high-memory (up to 4TB) nodes with access to global genomic and metagenomic datasets on our 2+ petabyte storage disks. We are embedded in the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse (microverse-cluster.de) which combines expertise in life, material, optical and computational sciences.

Your responsibilities :

• With your advisors, design and perform analyses to address the research questions.
• Analyse your results in the context of literature and public (meta-) ‘omics data.
• Take initiative to communicate and discuss your results with wet- and dry-lab group members.
• Report your findings in publications and presentations at international scientific platforms.
• Support Master students and undergraduate project students.

Your profile :

We offer :

To promote gender equality in science, applications by women are especially invited. Candidates with severe disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.

Are you eager to work with us? Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but no later than the 1st of March 2026 . Applications in English should comprise a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae including a list of your publications, copies of academic certificates, and names and contact details of two references. Please apply by using our online form.