FPI PhD Contract in EvoDevo, Genomics and Bioinformatics University of Barcelona in Spain

Fully funded PhD opportunity at the University of Barcelona in the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) and the Genetics Doctoral Programme.

Cristian Cañestro’s lab is offering a 4-year FPI predoctoral contract linked to the project Gene loss impact: evolution of cardioparaxial-neuromesodermal development and genome scrambling in Oikopleura dioica as a case study (OikoLoss). The project asks how massive gene loss can shape evolutionary innovation, using the chordate Oikopleura dioica as a natural evolutionary knockout model.

The research combines evo-devo, functional genomics, single-cell transcriptomics, population genomics, ecology, and bioinformatics. The PhD project includes two main goals: understanding how gene loss has reshaped heart, axial muscle, and neuromesodermal development; and uncovering how genome scrambling and chromosomal breakpoints generate gene-loss alleles and may influence adaptation to ocean environmental conditions.

Students will gain hands-on experience with embryo culture and manipulation, microinjection, CRISPR knockouts, interference knockdowns, HCR whole-mount in situ hybridization, confocal microscopy, single-cell RNA sequencing, PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing, comparative and population genomics, and bioinformatics.

The position is intended for candidates with a background in Biological Sciences, especially Biology, Genetics, or Bioinformatics, and an interest in evolutionary developmental biology, genomics, and evolutionary/population genetics. Excellent English is required.

The successful applicant will work in a multidisciplinary environment with opportunities for research stays and collaboration with international partners, including OIST (Okinawa), IGFL (Lyon), SARS (Bergen), and CRG (Barcelona).

Funding: the post is fully funded under the FPI programme, including salary, doctoral fees, mobility support, and social-security coverage according to official regulations.

Application: early contact is strongly recommended. Expressions of interest and pre-selection are already open, while the formal application process is expected to open in September 2026. The deadline shown is 15 November 2026.