PhD position in plant ecology and evolution, University of Zürich

A four year PhD position funded by the European Research Council (ERC)
is available from January 2012 at the Institute of Systematic Botany,
University of Zürich, to study the evolution of floral signals. A focus
of the project will be the trade-off between attraction of pollinators
and defense against herbivores. The behavioral impact of floral signals
on pollinators and herbivores and/or the molecular bases of floral
volatile production will be studied. In addition, evolutionary models
will be constructed to predict the evolutionary responses of floral
signals to different biotic environments. The project is embedded
in the larger context of the ERC grant on floral signal evolution;
thus, close collaboration with other PhD students working on this
topic is expected. You should have a Master or equivalent academic
degree, a keen interest in evolutionary biology, and a background in
either molecular or organismal biology. Enthusiasm for experimental
work with plants and insects is required. The successful candidate
will work in a very well equipped institute and an exciting research
environment. The Institute of Systematic Botany at the University of
Zürich consists of 3 professors and 6 academic staff, as well as a
large group of PostDocs, PhDs, and Master students. The institute is
located in the pretty botanical gardens and houses modern molecular and
chemical ecology labs, including greenhouses and climate chambers for
plant cultivation. The University of Zürich has a very broad coverage
of organismal and molecular biology, and several research groups work
on evolutionary topics (www.lifescience-zurich.ch). The city also offers
excellent quality of life through cultural programs and infrastructure,
as well as an attractive surrounding (lake, alps).
If you are interested in the job, please send (preferentially by e-mail)
a letter describing your motivation, C.V., copy of degrees, publications
(or manuscripts, if available), and e-mail addresses of two academic
referees, by 15th of October 2011. If you have further questions, don't
hesitate to contact me.
Prof. Florian Schiestl
Institute of Systematic Botany
Zollikerstrasse 107
CH-8008 Zürich
florian.schiestl@systbot.uzh.ch