Project assistant at the Department of Biology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Work duties

Functional analysis of neural systems is a challenging task. With intracellular electrophysiological methods we are aiming at understanding the neural basis of behavioral decisions underlying bumblebee navigational choices. Even though these methods are already challenging in restrained animals, we are currently moving towards carrying out recordings from single neurons in behaving bees. This will allow a more naturalistic state of the bee brain and allow to investigate navigational choices in the correct neural context. We have therefore developed a novel approach to perform intracellular recordings from the bumblebee central complex during which the bee is walking on an air suspended ball. A successful candidate will have the opportunity to test this setup for the duration of this project. This will include analysis of the recording stability, optimization of the approach and evaluation of how realistic the behavioral performance of the bee is during this invasive procedure. The aim of this project is to obtain proof of concept data from this novel method and to evaluate whether it can be used as a foundation for a larger research project.

Qualifications 

• Education: Masters in Biology
• Experience: 
  - Experience with handling insects
  - At least 1 year of research experience in the field of insect neuroethology
  - Experience in independently planning and evaluating experiments
  - Experience of working in an international research team
• Knowledge and competences:
  - Training in insect electrophysiology
  - Training in Matlab and/or other data analysis software
  - Basic programming skills (e.g. Python, Matlab)
  - Understanding of computational neural processes and models
• Other skills:
  - Excellent communication skills in oral and written English
   

We will place great emphasis on personal suitability. Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen the administrative work within the unit/department, as well as contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment 

Fixed-term employment from 15th of April 2022 to 31st of August 2022

The scope of the employment: Full-time (100%)

Contact person: Stanley Heinze 

Instructions on how to apply

Applications should include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the employment corresponds to your qualifications. The application should also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).