Postdoctoral Researcher and PhD Student in Environmental DNA, Molecular Ecology, and Autonomous Biodiversity Monitoring at University of Lausanne University of Lausanne in Switzerland

University of Lausanne (UNIL) is recruiting for two positions in the AquaDecode project: a Postdoctoral Researcher and a Doctoral Student (PhD) in environmental DNA (eDNA), molecular ecology, environmental genomics, and autonomous biodiversity monitoring.

The project is led by the Group of Prof. Nadir Alvarez at the Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, in partnership with the EPFL-based startup Decode NAture. AquaDecode is an Innosuisse-funded initiative aiming to build the first fully autonomous eDNA monitoring station, integrating water sampling, molecular amplification, nanopore sequencing, and cloud-based reporting into a single field-deployable device.

Postdoctoral position: 80% appointment for 24 months. The postdoc will lead molecular and engineering development, including assay optimization, microfluidics/system integration, sequencing workflow optimization, field-ready prototyping, and real-time bioinformatics for species identification. The role is highly interdisciplinary and sits at the interface of molecular biology, microengineering, bioinformatics, and conservation genomics.

Doctoral position: 100% appointment, initially for 1 year and renewable up to the end of the grant. The PhD student will design and execute eDNA monitoring campaigns across Swiss aquatic environments such as lakes, rivers, torrents, and groundwater, and will validate the ecological relevance of the platform in real-world conditions. The thesis combines field ecology, biodiversity monitoring, and applied molecular methods.

Research themes and keywords: eDNA, museomics, environmental genomics, molecular ecology, conservation biology, aquatic ecology, nanopore sequencing, microfluidics, RPA/LAMP, hybridisation capture, bioinformatics, and autonomous environmental monitoring.

Funding: The postdoc is funded by Innosuisse with an annual gross salary of 66–74 KCHF at 80% (equivalent 83–93 KCHF at 100%). The PhD is also Innosuisse-funded and paid according to SNSF standard salary scales.

Eligibility highlights: The postdoc requires a PhD and experience in molecular ecology, environmental genomics, bioengineering, microengineering, bioinformatics, or related fields. The PhD requires a master’s degree in a relevant discipline, strong interest in interdisciplinary research, hands-on lab or microengineering experience, programming/bioinformatics skills, and good English. Experience with eDNA, metagenomics, isothermal amplification, Oxford Nanopore, and field deployment is advantageous.

Application deadline: 27 April 2026. Applications should be submitted online via the University of Lausanne recruitment platform. Required documents include a cover letter, CV, degree certificates, and referee contacts; the postdoc also needs a PhD certificate, while the PhD applicant should include a master’s thesis summary.