Staff Scientist in Molecular Palynology at GLOBE Institute

Employer: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen

Place of employment
The place of work is at the Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen. We offer supportive, creative, and stimulating working conditions within a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include a LEAF GOLD certified molecular lab, designed for generating genomic-scale datasets from both modern and ancient specimens, complemented by high-capacity computational servers adept at handling such data.

The Role & Depertement
We invite applications for the position of Staff Scientist in Molecular Palynology. This role is a fixed-term position limited to a period of four years, commencing on 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position will be based at the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen.

The successful candidate will join the Conservation Palaeogenetics & Palaeoecology Group at the Section for GeoGenetics, led by Assistant Professor Ana Prohaska. We work at the interface of palaeoecology, ancient genetics, evolutionary biology, and conservation science to understand how species and ecosystems responded to past environmental change and how this understanding can inform conservation decision-making today. Our focus is on identifying and, where possible, recovering genetic diversity relevant to preserving Earth’s contemporary biodiversity into the future. For more information about the group and our research, please see: globe.ku.dk/research/geogenetics/prohaska-group.

Your work will be embedded within the newly awarded Ancient Environmental Genomics Initiative for Sustainability (AEGIS) funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. This interdisciplinary research initiative aims to build a more sustainable and secure food production system while also preserving biodiversity in cropping systems under climate change. Its approach is to produce new knowledge and develop innovative methodologies in ancient environmental DNA to identify important organismal associations and genetic adaptations relevant to future food security. The initiative brings together a large international network of researchers with expertise in genetics, ecology, evolutionary biology, plant sciences, computer science, statistics, geology, archaeology, and more.

Responsabilities
The successful candidate will join an exciting new research programme within the AEGIS aimed at advancing the recovery and analysis of ancient pollen DNA using state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing technologies. The main objective of this programme is to develop and employ high-throughput methods for reconstructing ancient plant genomes, which will be applicable to a wide range of plant species worldwide. The selected candidate will contribute to and support (1) the wet lab workflow for sequencing bulk and single pollen DNA in a clean lab setting, and (2) its application to fossil pollen records from various depositional settings, as part of AEGIS’s Data Engine.

The tasks include but are not limited to:

• Responsibility for the daily operation of the instrumentation for pollen isolation and handling.
• Responsibility for preparing pollen samples for extraction and library preparation and coordinating their submission to other laboratory pipelines.
• Participation in the development and implementation of protocols for fossil pollen DNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing.
• Participation in the establishment of the bioinformatic pipeline for the analysis of ancient pollen DNA data.
• Technical support in planning and troubleshooting.
• Participation in the scientific activities of the group and the initiative.
• Keeping up to date with technological developments.
• Work in close collaboration with other scientific staff and academics at the section.

Requirements
We are looking for a highly motivated and energetic candidate with the following competencies and experience:

Essential qualifications and skills

• MSc degree in molecular biology, (paleo)ecology, genetics, evolutionary biology, or a related field.
• Extensive experience in palynological analysis.
• Demonstrated experience in molecular biology methods.
• A genuine interest in developing and advancing wet lab methodologies and protocols.
• Self-motivation, pragmatic mindset, strong work ethics, and good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to organise time and work effectively and responsibly, independently and in teams.
• Strong attention to detail with demonstrated skills in troubleshooting.
• Enthusiasm to be part of an interdisciplinary research project and work collaboratively with scientists across a wide range of disciplines.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English (due to the institute's international profile).

Desirable experience and skills

• PhD in molecular biology, (paleo)ecology, genetics, evolutionary biology, or a related field
• Knowledge of ancient DNA laboratory techniques.
• Knowledge of single-cell laboratory techniques.
• Experience with the production of single-cell and/ or ancient genetic data.
• Experience with statistical data analysis.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.
The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of four years. The starting date is 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Employment will be in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) as Academic Research Staff.
The monthly salary will be based on the number of years of work experience (seniority) with the possibility to negotiate a salary supplement based on prior experiences and qualifications. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Further information
For further information regarding the position, please contact Ana Prohaska; anaprohaska@sund.ku.dk