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Bacteria are ubiquitous microscopic, single-celled organisms. Many bacteria live on and inside animals and humans, but very few cause diseases. Bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics, but resistance to antibiotics is becoming a major challenge. To prevent resistance from emerging and find alternative ways of combatting infections, we must understand population dynamics of bacteria during an infection: how they invade host cells, how resistant mutations arise and spread, and how intracellular bacteria respond to antibiotics. This requires a concentrated interdisciplinary effort.
In this project we will take a physics-inspired approach and address these questions through a combination of laboratory experiments and mathematical modelling. We will develop an in vitro model system of urinary infections together with advanced imaging methods to investigate the population dynamics of bacterial invasion of the bladder epithelium. Mathematical models will be used to interpret and direct experiments. The project fills an important gap between in vitro and animal models of infections. It will enable quantitative research of bacterial ecology and evolution in an environment closer to the environment of the host than previous works, explore fascinating non-equilibrium physics of intracellular bacterial colonies, and the structure of within-host fitness landscapes.

1. Planning and execution of specific elements of the research program under the guidance of the supervisor. This may involve but is not restricted to: building a single-plane illumination microscope, developing a new optical method of measuring bacteria density, imaging biological samples prepared by another post-doc, and analysing and interpreting the data.

2. Communicating research results to team members and collaborators at IPC and other institutions through talks and discussions, as well as learning about others’ research through seminars and journal clubs.  

4. Writing reports and scientific papers.

5. Attending and presenting at workshops and conferences. 

6. Keeping up-to-date with relevant scientific developments through literature review.

We offer a full-time employment position in the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS with a gross salary of around 12 300 PLN per month financed from the NAWA POLSKE POWROTY 2019  Project No. PPN/PPO/2019/1/ 00030

The offer is for 9 months with possible extensions based on satisfactory performance and funding availability.

The successful candidate will benefit from working in an international, interdisciplinary research group, and a newly refurbished, modern lab and office space. The candidate will work closely with other experimentalists and modellers from the Dioscuri Centre. The candidate will have the opportunity to visit collaborating research groups and to participate in international workshops and conferences.

Institute provides an opportunity to participate in ERASMUS+ programme.

Essential

• PhD in physics or physical chemistry, held or to be obtained before the job start date.
• Experience in constructing microscopes and microscopic imaging of biological samples
• Very good academic achievements as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and talks/poster presentations at international conferences.
• Ability to draft (in English) scientific papers for academic journals.
• Ability to communicate (in English) complex information clearly, orally and in writing.
• Ability to think creatively, propose and develop new ideas.
• Capability of working without close supervision, exercising a high degree of initiative and demonstrating a pro-active approach to work.

Desirable

• Experience with LabView or Micromanager (software for controlling microscopes).
• Programming skills (Python, C++, Matlab, or Mathematica)
• Ability to organise work so as to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain a clean and well-organised laboratory environment and to set up and maintain a well-organised digital repository of experimental data and protocols.
• Potential for career advancement as an independent researcher.

Candidates who possess these additional skills will be prioritized.

The Commission will take into account the following criteria:

a) competencies of candidates for specific tasks in a research project,

b) previous scientific achievements of candidates,

c) awards and distinctions of the candidate resulting from the conducted research.

The commission evaluates applications on a point scale