PhD fellowship in reindeer genomics: the role of prion gene haplotypes on CWD resistance

About the position

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) is offering a three-year PhD–position in reindeer genomics focusing on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The fellowship is supported by grants from the Research Council of Norway. The project builds on collaboration between national and international academic partners and herders of semi-domesticated reindeer in Southern Norway.
Genetic susceptibility to CWD is strongly associated with variants of the prion protein gene PRNP. Selection of animals carrying specific PRNP alleles for breeding could therefore potentially reduce CWD susceptibility across herds. However, marker-assisted breeding could inadvertently diminish overall genetic variation, potentially affecting beneficial traits essential for healthy living. To manage this, we plan to conduct comprehensive analyses of the genetic variation within different PRNP haplotypes. We will also monitor phenotypic traits such as health, behavior, and weight across animals with varying PRNP genotypes.

This will be a collaborative effort with five semi-domestic reindeer herders in Southern Norway, who collectively manage over 15.000 animals.

The project will conduct yearly PRNP genetic analysis of more than 1500 bucks intended for breeding.

The project will also include in vitro estimation of PRNP allelic effects on CWD susceptibility, in collaboration with Dr. Fabio Moda in Milan, using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) method.

Please note that applying for a PhD-position at NMBU also constitutes an application for admission to our PhD program. All necessary documentation to verify that admission requirements are met should be uploaded as an attachment to your application

Main tasks

• Contribute to the refinement of the reindeer genome, integrating data from long-range sequencing and short read sequences.
• Alignment and SNP-calling in more than 150 reindeer genomes, that represent all major PRNP haplotypes, and estimate genetic variation and relatedness.
• Develop models on how different PRNP-based breeding strategies will impact overall genetic variation.
• Assist in in vitro assessment of PRNP genetic modulation of CWD susceptibility.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop a plan for the PhD work within the first few months of the appointment, with the aim of completing their doctorate within the scholarship period.

Competence

The successful candidate must be qualified for admission to the Veterinary Science PhD-programme at NMBU. This requires an academically relevant education equivalent to a five-year master's degree or a cand.med.vet. degree, aligning with the learning outcomes described in the Norwegian Qualification Framework's second cycle. For detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.

The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.

Required Academic qualifications

• Candidates must hold a Cand. Med. Vet. Degree or relevant European Master’s degree at the time of the application (DVM) or master’s degree (MSc) in genetics, genomics, bioinformatics or similar field. Candidates who complete their education during the spring of 2024 can also apply, but can not be admitted to the PhD-program before the required academic education is approved.
• Candidates must demonstrate a strong academic background from previous studies.
• High proficiency in both written and oral English.

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

• Experience with analyzing “omics-data”.
• Familiarity with at least one programming language (R, python, etc)
• Experience with command-line-based operation of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems.
• Good written and oral communication skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language.
• Training or experience in scientific writing.
• Personal suitability as demonstrated during interviews.

You need to:

• Demonstrate strong motivation and commitment.
• Be effective in teamwork with excellent collaboration skills.
• Show a strong work ethic, organizations skills, and efficiency.

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale 54 – 60, position code 1017 PhD -Fellow. PhD-Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 532.200) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact Professor Michael A. Tranulis.

E-mail: Michael.Tranulis@nmbu.no; phone +47 46417637

Information for PhD applicants and general Information to applicants

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: May 12th, 2024

Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.

In the application, the candidate must confirm that information and documentation (in the form of attachments) submitted via the job application can also be used by NMBU in a possible admission process.

Applicants invited for an interview are expected to present original diplomas and certificates.

The following documents must be attached to the application:

• Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
• Complete CV 
• Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates. (i.e. Di-ploma, transcript. Diploma supplement for both bachelor and master). Diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in Norwegian or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement, or a similar document, which describes in detail the study program and grading system.
• Documentation of proficiency in written and oral English in accordance with NMBU PhD regulation section 5-2 (3). 
• Names and contact details for two references
• Additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge (for example, list of scientific works). If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.

Applications that lack documents as mentioned above may be excluded from the further process.

About the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at NMBU is the country's only veterinary professional education and provide expertise in veterinary medicine and veterinary public health. The Faculty educates veterinarians, animal nurses and doctoral students in Veterinary Science and researches in veterinary medicine and related biomedical fields. We have 500 students and 430 employees.

The faculty consists of the departments of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Paraclinical Sciences, Production Animal Clinical Sciences and Companion Animal Clinical Sciences. We also run the Animal Hospital, which is closely linked to our research and education, and receives patients from all over the country.

DIVERSE INFO

Kilde: NAV stillingsannonser
https://arbeidsplassen.nav.no/stillinger/stilling/a8d8b87e-1843-4251-ae1d-b8a4cf837b25
IMPORTAPI
https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/261950