The University of Southern Denmark is offering two fully funded 3-year postdoctoral positions in the field of microbial experimental evolution and meta-omics. The successful candidates will join the research group of Professor Amelia-Elena Rotaru, an ERC Consolidator grantee and Novo Nordisk Ascending Investigator, based in Odense, Denmark.

The research focuses on designing and running directed laboratory evolution experiments in microbial communities under electrochemical stimulation. The aim is to link microbial adaptations to performance using advanced shotgun meta-omics approaches, including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics. Two distinct roles are available: one focusing on the evolution of defined methanogenic consortia, and the other on the evolution of complex digester-derived microbiomes.

Applicants should have hands-on experience with experimental evolution of prokaryotes, such as serial passaging or chemostat/continuous culture, including replicate lines and archiving of evolved lines. Experience with time-series shotgun metagenomics (ideally strain-resolved or variant tracking), and/or metatranscriptomics or metaproteomics is required. Candidates should have 1–2 publications where experimental evolution and sequencing-based trajectory tracking are central methods.

The positions are fully funded for three years. The research group offers a dynamic and collaborative environment, with access to state-of-the-art facilities for microbial evolution and omics analyses. The University of Southern Denmark is a leading institution in biological and environmental sciences, providing excellent opportunities for career development.

Application deadline is 4 March 2026 (23:59 DK time). Interested candidates should apply online via the SDU Career Site. For more information about the group and research topics, visit Professor Rotaru's academic and LinkedIn profiles.

Keywords: microbial evolution, experimental evolution, meta-omics, shotgun metagenomics, methanogenic consortia, microbiomes, electrochemical stimulation, prokaryotes, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics.