Postdoctor in Microbiology

Reference number PAR 2026/631 The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future. The Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, at the Institute of Medicine, conducts translational research primarily on metabolism, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease in order to improve health and healthcare in the community. The overall goal is to create an excellent translational research environment of a very high international standard. We have more bacteria than our own cells in the body and these bacteria interact with each other in ecosystems, the microbiota, which can affect how we feel. By combining clinical samples and gnotobiotic animal models, we have shown that the gut microbiota affects our physiology and metabolism. We are now looking for a postdoctoral researcher who can analyze the gut microbiota and isolate specific microbial modulators for metabolic diseases by quantifying and characterizing bacterial species, strains, and genomes with a focus on diet-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions within the gut microbiota. Read more about the research group here: [https://backhedlab.org/](https://backhedlab.org/) ## **Subject area** Microbiology ## **Subject area description** The gut microbiota contains approximately 1,000 times more genes than the human genome and constitutes a complex ecosystem that influences host physiology through the production of bioactive metabolites. Despite major advances in microbiome research, it remains largely unknown how individual bacterial species and strain-level genetic variation contribute to microbiome function and the development of metabolic diseases. This project aims to identify and characterize bacterial species and strains within _Lachnospiraceae_ and _Oscillospiraceae,_ and particularly the genus _Faecalibacterium_, one of the most abundant and functionally important bacterial groups in the healthy human gut microbiota. ## **Duties** The successful candidate will investigate the functional diversity of _Faecalibacterium_ and its interactions with other gut bacteria using an integrated experimental and bioinformatic approach. The project combines comparative genomic and bioinformatic analyses to determine how strain-level genetic variation shapes bacterial metabolism and functional capacity with physiological characterization of bacterial growth, substrate utilization, and production of bioactive metabolites under defined anaerobic culture conditions. Building on our observation that _Faecalibacterium_ abundance is associated with increased stability of the gut microbial community, potentially through interactions with members of the _Lachnospiraceae_ and _Oscillospiraceae_ families, the candidate will also isolate and characterize novel bacterial strains from faecal samples obtained from healthy donors. These isolates will be used in experimental models to investigate microbial interactions, cross-feeding mechanisms, and their effects on host metabolism. The project integrates clinical cohort data, large-scale genomic analyses, anaerobic cultivation, metabolomics, and experimental model systems to identify microbial mechanisms and bioactive metabolites that contribute to metabolic health and may provide the foundation for future microbiome-based treatments for cardiometabolic diseases. ## **Eligibility** To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree in a relevant subject, or a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made. In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period shall be considered. Those who have completed their degree more than three years prior to the end of the application period may also be considered in the first instance if special grounds exist. Special grounds relate to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, commissions of trust within union organisations, service within the defence services or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area. ## **Assessment criteria** Documented experience in the preparation, optimisation and development of culture media for strictly anaerobic human gut bacteria, including YCFA fatty acid medium, as well as cultivation and isolation of strictly anaerobic gut bacteria under anaerobic conditions, particularly using Coy chambers or equivalent anaerobic cultivation systems, is required. Documented experience in genome-based phylogenetic identification and functional characterisation of bacterial species and strains is also required, including analyses using tools such as Protologger, phylogenetic analyses and phylogenetic tree reconstruction, average nucleotide identity (ANI), digital DNA–DNA hybridisation (dDDH), and functional genome annotation using software such as Prokka and COGs/EggNOG. Experience in programming and statistical data analysis using R, together with excellent written and spoken English, is also required. Experience in the isolation, cultivation and physiological characterisation of human gut commensals belonging to the _Lachnospiraceae_ and _Oscillospiraceae_ families, particularly butyrate-producing and/or fibre-degrading bacteria, is considered highly meritorious. Experience with faecal cultures derived from human samples, including selective and enrichment-based isolation strategies under strictly anaerobic conditions, is also considered highly meritorious. Additional merit will be given to applicants with experience in assessing bacterial meta