Postdoctoral Scholar – Evolutionary Cell Biology Full-time NEW

Postdoctoral Fellows (PDF)

This position has an initial appointment of 2 years. This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus Edmonton.

The Dacks Lab is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar for a research project investigating the pre-LECA evolution of adaptin protein complexes using Ancestral Protein Reconstruction (APR) and the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to combine bioinformatics and experimental evolutionary cell biology to uncover how early vesicular trafficking machinery evolved. The Dacks Lab is located in the Department of Medicine (with ties to Biological Sciences) at the University of Alberta. The lab offers access to high-performance computing (Compute Canada), dedicated wet-bench facilities, and core advanced microscopy infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Perform Ancestral Protein Reconstruction (APR) on adaptin subunit complexes.
• Express reconstructed ancestral proteins in Dictyostelium to directly assay their cellular function and membrane trafficking roles.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team and utilize state-of-the-art computational and cell biology infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, or a related field within the last 5 years
• Background in molecular cell biology, membrane trafficking, or bioinformatics/phylogenetics.
• Strong record of scientific communication and publication.
• Preference will be given to candidates with expertise (demonstrated by first author publications) in molecular cell biological and microscopical techniques using the Dictyostelium discoideum model system.

Interested candidates should submit the following for their application:

• Curriculum vitae including list of publications
• Cover letter describing their research experience, interests and fit with the project
• The names of up to three academic references should be provided, but letters are not required at this stage

Use of AI in writing applications documents is strongly discouraged. The postdoctoral position is NSERC funded for 2 years and candidates with experience with molecular cell biology of Dictyostelium will be prioritized.

The position can start as soon as November 1, 2026 however, the search will continue until a suitable candidate is found.

This position has a comprehensive benefits package.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by the Collective Agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Postdoctoral Fellows Association of the University of Alberta.

Further information on the research is below:

The endomembrane system is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells and one of the key cellular systems to be understood in the prokaryote to eukaryote transition. The Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA) is reconstructed to have possessed a sophisticated set of endomembrane compartments and vesicular trafficking machinery.

This complexity evolved via an iterative process of gene duplications and co-evolution from a primordial set of vesicle formation and fusion proteins to the organelle-specific paralogues present today. However, the details of events, function of preduplicated proteins, and importantly how novel function of those paralogues arose are unknown, and unknowable, by the gold-standard methods of comparative genomics and phylogenetics alone. Ancestral protein reconstruction uses bioinformatics to infer the sequence of ancient proteins and evolutionary cell biology to directly assay their cellular function. The Dacks lab has used this approach to address the pre-LECA evolution of the Arf GTPases.

Here we aim to use the same approach but with Dictyostelium as a model system to examine the evolution of the adaptin protein complexes. The Dacks Lab has previously used Dictyostelium to examine evolutionary cell biological questions. We are excited to make even more in depth use of this model system.

Adaptins are heterotetrameric complexes that recruit cargo into transport vesicles and the cellular functions and locations of each are well established in animals, yeast, plants and Dictyostelium. This set of proteins has also been well-studied in the context of eukaryogenesis. The postdoctoral project will be to perform Ancestral Protein Reconstruction on adaptin subunits and test their function in Dictyostelium cells.

Dr. Dacks is also a Research Scientist with the Czech Academy of Sciences and an Honorary Professor at University College London. The lab has access to super-computing capabilities through Compute Canada and dedicated wet-bench facilities, as well as access to core microscopy infrastructure. The research group comprises 4-8 lab members at any given time ranging from undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows.

1. Richards, T. A. et al. Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes. PLoS Biol. 22, e3002917–e3002917 (2024).

2. Dacks, J. B., Poon, P. P. & Field, M. C. Phylogeny of endocytic components yields insight into the process of nonendosymbiotic organelle evolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 105, 588–593 (2008).

3. Alves, M., Sivia, M., Záhonová, K., Jackson, C. L. & Dacks, J. B. Ancestral Protein Reconstruction of a membrane trafficking GTPase uncovers unanticipated properties of the ancestral protein and of modern Arf1 GTPases. bioRxiv https://doi.org/doi:%20https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.27.684887

4. Manna, P. T., Barlow, L. D., Ramirez-Macias, I., Herman, E. K. & Dacks, J. B. Endosomal vesicle fusion machinery is involved with the contractile vacuole in Dictyostelium discoideum. J. Cell Sci. 136, (2023).

About University of Alberta

The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs and research stations are primarily located on the territory of Néhiyaw (Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, Nakoda (Stoney), Dene, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Saulteaux), lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7 and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide. Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people – from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more. This position requires that the incumbent be eligible to participate in government-funded research projects including active ability to receive federal research funds on behalf of the university. Individuals having an active affiliation with a Named Research Organization are ineligible to participate in government-funded research projects in Sensitive Technology Research Areas in Canada. Applicants must be able to meet all applicable research security requirements. At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. All University employees have a responsibility to foster a workplace that prioritizes safety in all its forms – physical, cultural, and psychological. This is achieved by promoting a safe environment, adhering to all safety laws, policies and procedures, completing all required safety training, identifying hazards and implementing controls, reporting incidents, and contributing to a culture of belonging and respect, while endeavoring to ensure that all colleagues feel valued and safe to express their thoughts, perspectives and concerns. The University of Alberta is committed to creating a university community where everyone feels valued, barriers to success are removed, and thriving connections are fostered. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women, First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons, members of visible minority groups, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply. L'Université de l'Alberta s'engage à créer une communauté universitaire où chaque personne se sent valorisée, où les obstacles à la