PhD Research Fellow in Molecular Biology (Parasitology and Gene Editing)

PhD Research Fellow in Molecular Biology (Parasitology and Gene Editing)

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Molecular biology with focus on parasitology and gene editing at the Department of Biological Sciences. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with career-promoting work (e.g. teaching at the Department). The position is subject to the project “Deciphering Nutrient Uptake Mechanisms in Salmon Louse Oocytes for Gene Editing and Treatment Development”, which is financed by the Research Council of Norway under the Groundbreaking Research program.

About the project/work tasks:

• The project aims to develop gene editing methods for salmon lice. Salmon lice are parasites of Atlantic salmon and cause immense costs for the salmon farming industry every year. Effective and sustainable treatment methods are currently lacking. To develop such methods, a better understanding of salmon louse biology is crucial. To this end, we want to establish CRISPR-based gene editing in the salmon louse. The small size of its oocytes poses a challenge for the delivery of the gene editing compounds. Therefore, CRISPR is not available in this species, yet. To overcome this, we want to investigate the mechanism how nutrients are transported into the oocytes by the lice and then use this mechanism for transporting the gene editing compounds into the oocytes.
• The PhD research fellow will be part of the Sea Lice research group, composed of several researchers with extensive experience in salmon louse biology. The experiments entail molecular cloning, recombinant protein production and in situ hybridisation as well as CRISPR experiments in lice with subsequent analyses of genotypes and phenotypes. There might be the opportunity for a three-month stay at a partner research institute in Germany for performing cell culture experiments, depending on further funding. The project and position are planned to begin on 01.08.2026.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent education in Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, Fish health or similar. Master students can apply provided they complete their final master exam before 15.07.2026. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
• Experience from working in a molecular biology lab is a requirement
• A master’s (or similar) thesis involving molecular biology methods is a requirement
• Willingness to perform animal experiments (with fish and lice) is a requirement
• Experience in molecular cloning, recombinant protein production in E. coli, gene editing and/or in situ hybridisation is a major advantage
• Experience in work with salmon lice and/or salmon is an advantage
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills

  Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

About the PhD Research Fellow position

About the PhD Research Fellow position

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the Head of department upon appointment. If a 4th year is granted, one year of career-promoting work associated with teaching, dissemination or research infrastructure/services, will be distributed over the full employment period and thus corresponding to 25 per cent of the time each year.

The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training

As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Science and Technology is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

We can offer:

• a good and professionally stimulating working environment
• salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 568 700. Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position.
• enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• a brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• a detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, explaining how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the “advantages” mentioned above, as these will be taken into account when ranking the candidates.
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master’s thesis or equivalent thesis
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. If you have not yet completed your master’s degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master’s degree. Your master’s degree must be documented with transcripts and/or diploma before starting in the position.
• relevant certificates/references
• approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission)
• a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list with links)

  The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.

General information:

For further details about the position, please contact the project leader Andreas Borchel, Department of Biological Sciences, andreas.borchel@uib.no or the head of the salmon louse research group Frank Nilsen, Department of Biological Sciences, Frank.Nilsen@uib.no.

For HR related questions contact Adviser Magnus Skogstad, Faculty of Science and Technology, magnus.skogstad@uib.no, +47 55583669

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

We encourage men to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. For further information about the recruitment process, click here.