Researcher position in molecular vertebrate paleontology Full-time

Researcher Position in Molecular Vertebrate Paleontology

Are you interested in working with palaeomolecular data, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer who invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a researcher position in molecular paleontology at the Department of Organismal Biology at Uppsala University.

The Department of Organismal Biology teaches and explores the evolution, development and function on the organismal level. For more information see www.iob.uu.se. The Programme for Evolutionary and Developmental Biology studies the evolution and developmental biology of vertebrates, both separately and through interdisciplinary research, with the aim of understanding how the fundamental vertebrate body plan was assembled and developed over time. Our research particularly focuses on the deepest parts of the vertebrate evolutionary tree (from the origin of vertebrates to the transition from water to land) and on the development of terrestrial ecosystems during the Mesozoic era – the geological period when dinosaurs dominated the Earth.

The main duties will involve developing and applying palaeomolecular protocols to identify endogenous biomolecules in fossil vertebrate bones. The project aims to investigate taphonomy and biomolecule preservation in vertebrate fossils, including interactions between fossil material and the surrounding environment. Ultimately, the work will use exceptionally preserved tissues and biomolecules to shed light on the evolution and development of early dinosaurs. The primary focus will be on exceptionally preserved dinosaur fossils from Triassic-Jurassic deposits of Sweden, although additional fossil material may also be included. In this role, you will contribute to the development of new palaeomolecular protocols, including the establishment of a palaeoproteomics research platform. The project is associated to the ERC-funded project “Unravelling early dinosaur success through fossil digestive contents and trophic dynamics (DINO-DIGEST)”, awarded to Martin Qvarnström. You will work closely with other members of the research group. Opportunities will also be provided to apply similar methods to additional datasets, participate in sampling campaigns, and present results at international conferences.

You must have a PhD degree in molecular biology or similar, or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in molecular biology or similar. Experience in palaeomolecular research and taphonomy is a requirement for the position. Furthermore, full written and spoken fluency in English is required.

The research will be conducted independently but will also be integrated into a team working on a larger research project led by the Principal Investigator (PI). Therefore, considerable emphasis will be placed on personal qualities, such as strong independently, collaboration skills and the ability to work in a goal-oriented, results-driven manner.

The employment is fixed-term, 12 months. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date September 1, 2026, or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.