PhD Fellow on Antibiotic Resistance Evolution within the MicroPop research group

The position

A PhD position is available at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, within the Microbial Pharmacology and Population Biology (MicroPop) research group, led by Prof. Pål J. Johnsen. The position is part of the project titled “Promiscuity and Evolution of AMR Enzymes”.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The project

The successful candidate will join a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment, collaborating with faculty members, scientists, and students to advance our understanding of microbiology and molecular biology. The project focuses on exploring the evolution, selection, and spread of antibiotic resistance (AMR) with an emphasis on enzyme promiscuity.

Enzyme promiscuity refers to the ability of enzymes to catalyze reactions beyond their primary function. While this concept is well-recognized as a driver of the evolution of new functions, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms enabling enzymes to distinguish between native and promiscuous substrates—and the evolutionary forces promoting these secondary activities—remains limited.

This PhD project aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms underpinning enzyme promiscuity in AMR enzymes and to investigate its evolutionary consequences. The research will be tailored to the candidate’s expertise and interests, with an expectation of interdisciplinary collaboration and a willingness to learn and adopt new methodologies.

The overarching goal is to achieve a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving promiscuity and functional adaptation in AMR enzymes. The candidate will work in laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, engaging closely with an international network of scientists. This project is part of a larger international initiative involving collaborators from Spain, Canada, and The Netherlands, offering opportunities for cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations.

The candidate will report to Dr. Christopher Frøhlich and Prof. Pål J. Johnsen and contribute to advancing the scientific field while developing expertise in molecular biology and evolution.

Duties of the position

The PhD candidate will work on the following tasks:

• Manage your research project
• Experimental design and execution
• Perform enzyme evolution and selection
• Enzyme production and purification
• Biochemical enzyme characterization 
• Structural and functional characterization
• Write scientific papers and a PhD thesis
• Presenting your work in national and international arenas
• This position is a 4 years position which include 25% teaching 

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact either Dr. Christopher Frøhlich:

• phone: +47 46968778
• email: Christopher.frohlich@uit.no

or get in touch with Professor Pål J. Johnsen:

• Phone: +47 476 88974
• email: paal.johnsen@uit.no

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• Master's degree in molecular biology, microbiology, chemistry or equivalent education with a grade of C or better. A detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 
• Experience within the following areas: genetic manipulation, protein expression and purification, biochemical characterization of enzymes (e.g., steady state kinetics, thermostability measurements, MS)
• Documented excellent oral and written English skills. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
• Applicants must document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at a minimum of level A2. If the candidate does not document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2, then the doctoral fellow must complete a language course equal to 15 ECTS before the end of the fixed-term period. UiT will facilitate this. 
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level 

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in coding (e.g., python) and competence with computer-based analytical tools
• Experience with protein structure characterization (e.g., X-ray crystallography)

Personal characteristics

The applicant should be motivated, creative and ambitious, with a strong ability to work problem-solution orientated both in teams and independently. The applicant should be genuinely interested in the field of molecular evolution and AMR as well as scientific dissemination.

In the evaluation of which applicant is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in this position announcement.

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme 

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

 

Applicants must have a grade of C or better on the master's thesis and have a grade point average of C or better for the master's degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.  

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

• A highly international, ambitious and friendly work environment 
• A unique opportunity to get experience in a wide range of interesting research topics.  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 536 200 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
• Transcript of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
• Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at a minimum of level A2 (if available)
• References with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline. 

Assessment 

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. 

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. 

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.