Job Description

The Institute for Infectious Diseases performs tasks in teaching and research as well as in diagnostic microbiology in the fields of virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitology and serological infection clarification. It is the only university institute in Switzerland that combines all microbiological specialties in the field of clinical microbiology under one roof.



The Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Switzerland, invites applications for 2 PhD positions (for four years, 100%) and 2 postdoc positions (for two years, 100%) funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation for a project on "Identification of novel pneumococcal factors determining virulence in the era of vaccines with expanding serotype coverage and investigating the mechanisms of their success" in the groups of Prof Lucy Hathaway and Prof Markus Hilty.

Description

Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a major cause of death globally, particularly from pneumonia and meningitis, and pneumococcal serotypes and lineages differ in their propensity to cause severe disease. Understanding evolution of S. pneumoniae in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and its mechanisms of virulence is the focus of the project.

In Prof Hilty's lab one PhD student and one postdoc will identify emerging lineages associated with IPD in Switzerland and South Africa, correlate their genetic features with clinical data by genome wide association study (GWAS) and identify factors determining their success using CRISPRi sequencing.

In Prof Hathaway's lab one PhD student and one postdoc will determine the effect of candidate factors and their specific alleles by constructing switch mutants, using the Janus cassette, and testing of the phenotypes produced.

The project involves a collaboration between several groups at the Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Switzerland, Prof Anne von Gottberg, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa and Prof Mirco Schmolke, University of Geneva, Switzerland.


Requirements
Applicants for the PhD positions should have a master's degree in a relevant subject. The successful candidates will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the University of Bern (GCB).

Applicants for the postdoctoral positions should have a PhD in a relevant topic. Experience in any of the following is a plus: genetic engineering, knowledge in genomic analyses and bioinformatics. All applicants should have a high motivation to succeed with a strong interest in microbiology. The working language is English, German language is an advantage but not a requirement.
Terms of Employment for the postdoctoral positions


Fixed-term contracts (100%) for 2 years are available. However, part-time arrangements (e.g., 60-80%) (for possibly longer duration) can be considered to support candidates with family or other obligations.
Start Date and Application Deadline


Positions are available from 1st October 2025 or upon mutual agreement. Early application is encouraged, as first candidates are expected to be shortlisted and invited for interviews in June 2025, until all positions are filled.
Information about the application


Applications (as a single pdf file) should be sent to markus.hilty@unibe.ch and lucy.hathaway@unibe.ch, indicating which group and position you are applying for, and include:CV Copies of grades, diplomas and letters of reference letter describing your motivation to work on this project.



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