University of Gothenburg announces ten research student positions linked to the multidisciplinary
Graduate school in marine environmental research
This research school is run by Gothenburg Centre for Marine Research (under the Centre for Environment and Sustainability). The research student positions are part of five multidisciplinary projects each including two research students from different faculties (disciplines). The research within all projects aims to support a sustainable use and management of marine resources.
The graduate school will recruit in total 14 research students (7 pairs) during the period June 2011-January 2012, and a coordinator of the school will be appointed. Each research student will be affiliated to a "home department" (the department of the supervisor) and be examined in accordance with the rules of the department. Research students and their supervisors of the graduate school are expected to take part of seminars, workshops and similar activities arranged by the school. The two students and the two (or more) supervisors within a project should collaborate to the extent that at least one multidisciplinary (co-authored) manuscript or conference paper is provided.
Below follows a detailed description of the five projects, including the individual research student positions hereby announced.
Applications
Each position should be applied for with a separate set of application documents. All applications should be sent electronically to Registrator at University of Gothenburg, anstallning@gu.se. The application should be a single pdf with appendices as separate additional pdfs. (If an applicant wants to be considered for more than one position in marine ecology, separate applications should be sent for each position.)
It is important to indicate the reference number of the announcement and which of the ten positions is applied for in the title of the mail.
Deadline for the application is Monday, March 5th 2012. 2/16
PROJECT 5: Antibiotic resistance in marine bacteria: The role of biocides and metals in the marine environment for promoting and maintaining antibiotic resistance
According to the WHO, the rapid development of multi-resistant bacteria is one of the three largest threats to public health globally as it severely impairs our possibilities to treat infectious diseases. In Europe only, resistant bacteria killed 25,000 people last year. The heavy use of antibiotics is the major driver behind this development. In EU concern has been raised by SCENIHR (Scientific Committee for Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks) regarding the observation that antibiotic resistance sometimes can be selected for by exposure also to other chemicals, such as metals or biocides. There are two known categories of molecular mechanisms to explain these observations:
- co-resistance, when by the presence of resistance or tolerance genes for both antibiotics and other chemicals are located in close genetic vicinity of each-other on mobile plasmids and therefore transferred together
- cross-resistance, when the individual resistance mechanisms (such as efflux pumps) show a broader specificity.
The efficiency of resistance mechanisms as well as the gene transfer will determine how serious the consequences will be.
Selection pressures that favour development and spreading of resistance against metals (e.g. copper and silver), and biocides (e.g. desinfectants, antimicrobials, preservatives) will thus affect the occurrence also of antibiotic resistance. Sofar the focus has been on antibiotic use in medicine and veterinary medicine. Both the important arenas and responsibilities will now expand. Every site where metals or biocides (regulated by The Swedish Chemicals Agency, KemI) are used or occur together with bacteria is now a potential arena where antibiotic resistance can be promoted. Even stronger risks will emerge when favoured genes can be transferred to human pathogens in contact with humans. Of obvious concern from a health perspective are drinking water, food, live-stock keeping, fish and sea-food cultures, kitchen environments, swimming pools and outdoor bathing places.
The outdoor environments (e.g. the coastal zone) are also contaminated by metals, biocides and antibiotics. Selection pressure from these groups of chemicals – alone or together – suggests that that the coastal environments will become grounds for development or maintenance of antibiotic resistance. It is important that the extent and mechanisms behind the processes are clarified.
The aim is to clarify (1) what antibiotic resistance genes (known and novel) are present in marine environments?(2) if exposure to biocides and metals select for resistance to antibiotics in marine bacterial communities?(3) the genetic basis behind such co- or cross-resistance in marine bacteria. (4) whether antibiotic resistance genes are favoured and hitchhike on ship hulls under the selection pressure from antifouling paints?
We will combine controlled microcosm experiments with field studies of contaminated and more pristine marine environments. The DNA of complex bacterial communities will be analyzed by the most modern massively parallel next generation sequencing technologies, and functional metagenomics will be used to identify novel resistance or tolerance factors. Pollution-Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) will be employed to assess the selection pressure for metals, biocides and antibiotics in marine microbial biofilms. Advanced sequencing protocols will enable the assessment of genetically-linked co-resistance. The competence and experience of the two hosting groups, places us in a unique position to combine medicine and infectious diseases with marine pollution and microbial ecotoxicology, meeting at the interface of microbial ecology and bioinformatics. The research will provide important input to environmental regulatory bodies, health care, and the marine shipping sectors.
5B. Ph.D. student position in Medical Microbiology or Genomics at the Sahlgrenska academy
Ref. Nr. U 2011/702
The Ph.D. student position (four year “doktorandtjänst”) will be placed in the group of Associate Professor Joakim Larsson at the Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska academy. The Sahlgrenska academy performs research and education in the broad field of health sciences. The Larsson group performs interdisciplinary research, primarily on the fate and effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment, involving collaborations with several other groups and universities. Much of the ongoing activities in the group address issues around antibiotic resistance in the external environment and involve the application of high-throughput DNA sequencing. The group today consist of 12 people and it receives funding from for example VR, FORMAS, MISTRA and SIDA. For more information on our research activities, please see http://www.neurophys.gu.se/sektioner/fysiologi/endo/joakim_larsson/.
Qualifications
The candidates to this position could have either a background in medical microbiology, or a profile directed towards genomics and bioinformatics or equivalent suitable for analyses of high-throughput DNA sequencing data but then necessarily with an adequate biology background as well. Excellent communicative skills particularly regarding scientific communication in English, both spoken and written, a developed way of critical and creative thinking as well as ability to work successfully in an interdisciplinary group is crucial.
The applicant should at least 240 hp university credits, corresponding to a Master of Science, with at least 60 hp at advanced level within a relevant area.
Application documents
- An attested list of qualifications (CV).
- Copy of examination certificates.
- Transcript of courses with grades.
- Copy of master thesis (or equivalent), and if relevant other scientific publications.
- A reference letter and contact information for references that are familiar with the applicant’s qualifications.
- Documentation of English proficiency.
- A short cover letter (1-2 A4 page, written in English) concerning the applicant’s motivation for the research and ambitions and approach towards PhD studies. Here the applicant should motivate why he/she should be selected for the position.
For more information regarding the project please contact the main supervisor, Associate Prof. Joakim Larsson (joakim.larsson@fysiologi.gu.se).
For general questions regarding PhD studies at the Sahlgrenska Academy, please contact Jessica Nyberg Petterson
E-mail: jessica.pettersson@sahlgrenska.gu.se