The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine is seeking to appoint a PhD candidate, section "Coastal Ecology"

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine
Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded
by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research
in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology and
geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals.
The division of "Biosciences", section "Coastal Ecology" at
the Wadden Sea Station Sylt (Mathias Wegner / Christian Buschbaum) in
cooperation with the department of Marine Ecology & Evolution at the
NIOZ,Texel (David Thieltges) is seeking to appoint a

PhD candidate, section "Coastal Ecology"

Background and Tasks:
Infectious disease strongly regulates populations. However, some forms
of disease arise internally by mutation causing cancer. Usually, cancer
cells are evolutionary dead ends that die with the individual carrying
them. Recently, several contagious cancers have been discovered in
marine bivalves. Here, cancer cells made the transition to parasitism by
proliferating within and between populations, which may strongly affect
bivalve population dynamics. The planned PhD project will investigate
the ecological and evolutionary roles of contagious cancer (disseminated
neoplasia) in bivalves along a latitudinal gradient from temperate
to arctic regions. The comparative approach will combine systematic
observational data on the occurence of neoplasia with experimental work
investigating ecological effects in the field and in the lab.  Practical
work will include sampling and field experiments in the Netherlands,
Germany, Denmark and Norway (including extended stays on Spitsbergen)
and molecular and cytological techniques will be used to identify the
evolutionary origins and consequences of neoplasia.

Requirements:
You should hold a Diploma/MSc degree in biology with fundamental
understanding of ecological and evolutionary principles. We are looking
for a highly motivated, independent student that can conduct unsupervised
work in remote field settings. Prior knowledge of experimental design,
statistical analysis of large data sets, bioinformatics and some molecular
and wet lab skills are a definite plus.

The position is limited to 3 years. The salary will be paid in accordance
with the German Tarifvertrag des =F6ffentlichen Dienstes (TV=F6D Bund),
salary level 13 (66%). The place of employment will be List on Sylt.
The Wadden Sea Station offers excellent experimental facilities and direct
access to field sites in the national park "Schleswig-Holsteinisches
Wattenmeer", which was recently awarded the status of a world heritage
site. AWI housing (shared flat) is available at reasonable rates.
We offer you a multi-disciplinary, international, and fascinating
professional environment with flexible working hours, state-of-the-art
research equipment, and a first-grade infrastructure. Disabled applicants
will be given preference when equal qualifications are present. The
AWI fosters the compatibility of work and family through various
means. Because of our engagement in the area of work-life compatibility
we have been awarded the certificate "Career and Family".

Applications including cover letter, letter of motivation, list of
publications, degree certificates, CV and two names of referees should
be submitted by November 30th, 2015 referencing code 117/D/Bio by e-mail
(all documents merged into one PDF file) to: personal@awi.de.

For more information or questions regarding the project please contact
Mathias Wegner (Mathias.Wegner(at)awi.de).

Mathias.Wegner@awi.de