AquaWales
Current vacancy: Postdoctoral Position
Research Fellow position working on Epigenetic basis of fish domestication at Swansea University
Institutions: Swansea University, Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University
Collaborators: Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Cardiff Harbour Authority (CHA), Wye & Usk Foundation (WUF), Natural Aptitude, Fishgen, Skillfish, Pontus Aqua, CIBIO
We are looking for 1 Research Fellow to work on an exciting project using a multidisciplinary, cutting-edge approach to:
1. bridge, for the first time, the behavioural, genetic and environmental (epigenetic) components of fish undergoing domestication
2. disentangle the role of domestication in disease resistance in response to stress and temperature change, and
3. model pathways of introduction and dispersal of aquaculture-related invasive species (AIS) under different environmental conditions, combining state-of-the-art methods for early detection (environmental DNA) and citizen science.
Worldwide demand for fish and shellfish has increased 9% annually over the last few decades and is expected to reach c. 180 million tons by 2015, most of which will have to come from farmed fish, as the majority of wild fisheries are either stagnant or grossly over-exploited. However, to achieve long-term sustainability and meet food security demands, aquaculture needs to diversify and to step-up the domestication of aquatic species, which will have to thrive on less food, less space, and less water, all compounded by warmer temperatures and disease.
The AquaWales Research Cluster (http://aquawales.wix.com/aquawalescluster) combines academic (Swansea, Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities) and non-academic participants, including stakeholders and local government involved in policy and regulation, and will target these challenges by capitalising on the diverse and complementary expertise of the group (from behavioural ecology to genomics, citizen-science and fisheries policy). We use a multidisciplinary approach to disentangle the basis of domestication and the response to crowding (stress and parasite susceptibility), an aspect often neglected in breeding programs, and to investigate the potential effects of climate change on the risk of expansion and establishment of non-native aquatic species associated with aquaculture and fisheries using state-of-the-art methods.
A Research Fellow position is available from 1st July 2016 until 30 November 2018. Applicants are expected to match the following criteria:
- Have a PhD in a relevant field (e.g. Biology, Ecology, Genetics).
- Not be awarded their first PhD less than 2 years and more than 8 years prior to the starting date of the position.1
- Have published, confirmed accepted or in press, at least 5 papers in ISI accredited peer-reviewed journals by the starting date of the position. (Applicants with longer periods of postdoctoral experience will be expected to have proportionally higher numbers).
Desirable criteria are: experience working on fish behaviour, genetics/genomics background, experience programming in R/Python. The RF will be working on behavioural and epigenetic basis of fish domestication. mainly based at Swansea University in close collaboration with postdocs and PhD students at Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities. To apply follow this link:
Informal enquiries to: Sonia Consuegra (s.consuegra@swansea.ac.uk) or Carlos Garcia de Leaniz (c.garciadeleaniz@swansea.ac.uk).
Sonia Consuegra
Professor in Biosciences
College of Science
Swansea University
Singleton Park SA2 8PP
Swansea
Tel. +44 (0) 1792 602931
Email. S.Consuegra@swansea.ac.uk
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/science/biosciences/s.consuegra