A 2-year postdoctoral position (which may be renewed to up to two additional years) is available in the "Enteric Bacterial Pathogens" Unit at Institut Pasteur in Paris.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, talented, motivated postdoctoral research scientist with a strong experience of analyzing bacterial genomes and large genomic datasets to gain insights into the population structure of historical Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi and Paratyphi C isolates collected globally from the 1950s to 1980s. These pathogenic bacteria are the causative agents of the typhoid fever and the paratyphoid C fever, respectively.

The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. François-Xavier Weill (https://research.pasteur.fr/fr/member/francois-xavier-weill/). The Enteric Bacterial Pathogens is a laboratory with both Research and Public Health activities (national laboratory surveillance of infections caused by Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Shigella, and Vibrio). We use whole-genome sequencing data to study population structures and evolution of epidemic, emergent and/or antimicrobial-resistant enteric bacterial pathogens (e.g., Njamkepo et al. Nat Microbiol 2016; Weill et al. Science 2017; Tran-Dien et al. Lancet Inf Dis 2018; Weill et al. Nature 2019; Mashe et al. N Engl J Med 2020; Oprea et al. Nat Commun 2020; Yassine et al. Nat Commun 2022; Lefèvre et al. Nat Commun 2023).

This work would involve genomic analyses from several hundred genomes using Illumina (isolates) and MinION (plasmids) sequences and statistical comparison between this genome typing and the 60-y old phage typing scheme. Some basic microbiological laboratory work (bacterial culture, DNA extraction, antimicrobial susceptibility testing,…) might also be required depending on the candidate background. The successful candidate will also be responsible for presenting and publishing the study results.

Qualified applicant must have a Ph.D. in bioinformatics, microbiology, computer science, or a related field with background and strong interest in microbial evolution. The ideal candidate will already have some experience working with large genomic datasets, experience with basic microbiology techniques and oral and written communication skills as demonstrated by publications as first author in English language peer-reviewed journals and oral presentations at international meetings. Prior programming or scripting expertise is a plus.

Contact person: François-Xavier Weill, fxweill@pasteur.fr