Information Technology | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans - Part 325

Postdoctoral Position: Monitoring of Biological Organisms Using Sound, Belgium

/ January 12, 2011 Leave a Comment

Every living organism (human, animal, plant) produces and reacts to sound. , Considerable research has been conducted in the analysis of sounds originating from humans (patients, infants) and animals (pigs, cows). More specifically, automatic monitoring tools have been developed for animal health and welfare, COPD patients and infants. This research has mainly focused on health and welfare issues and mathematical modelling techniques have been used in combination with physical knowledge of the sound production process in order to gain insight into the sound response of biological organisms.
Our aim is to attract the interest of a post-doctoral researcher and provide the scientific environment and support in preparing a project or grant proposal that will allow him/her to be a member of our team. We believe that our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of people like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. As part of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.
The fellow will be responsible to initiate research in the field of sound analysis for biological organisms and assemble and coordinate a team of PhD students. This also extends to the following responsibilities:

Provide direction and support to project team
Identify research topics and initiate scientific research
Write and coordinate the writing of scientific publications
Write project proposals
Lead the planning and implementation of project
Facilitate the definition of project scope, goals and deliverables
Define project tasks and resource requirements
Develop full scale project plans
Manage project budget
Plan and schedule project timelines
Track project deliverables using appropriate tools
Monitor and report on progress of the project to all stakeholders
Present reports defining project progress, problems and solutions
Implement and manage project changes and interventions to achieve project outputs
Project evaluations and assessment of results

The fellow will also be a coordinator within the M3-BIORES group and is expected to actively participate in the decision regarding the group (future research, operational and financial decisions, personnel, etc.). We also expect a pro-active attitude and the ability to initiate and execute research lines independently. Excellent communication and reporting skills are necessary.

Candidate profile
The candidate must have a PhD degree in (bio-) engineering (electrical, computer, civil, mechanical, bio-mechanics, medical technology etc.), physics, mathematics or other relevant field.
The candidate must be willing to initiate and coordinate research in the field of bio-engineering.
The candidate must be able to speak and write English.
Working knowledge of MATLAB, experience in sound processing and/or mathematical modelling is an advantage.

For more information and application instructions, the candidates are requested to send a CV to Dr. Vasileios Exadaktylos, Division M3-BIORES, Faculty of Bio-Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Tel. +32-16-32.17.30 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

Scholarship Application Deadline: Contact Employer

Filed Under: Doctorate Degree, Engineering, Information Technology, Physical Science, Post Doctoral Tags: , , , , , , , ,

IMPRS-gBGC PhD Program 2011, Germany: Biogeochemical cycles in the earth

/ January 12, 2011 Leave a Comment

The “International Max Planck Research School for global Biogeochemical Cycles” located in Jena, Germany, offers fellowships to outstanding students interested in research on biogeochemical cycles in the Earth system. The school offers excellent research possibilities for students to obtain a PhD degree in a 3-years graduate program.
The elements key to life such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen are continuously exchanged among the land, ocean and atmosphere in what are known as global biogeochemical cycles. Research in the IMPRS discovers how these cycles function, how they are interconnected, and how they can change with climate or human activity. Students can choose research that combines field observations, laboratory methods development, manipulative experiments, and numerical modelling to tackle current questions in global biogeochemistry. Students will also benefit from a three-month external research visit, specialised courses in e.g. statistics, Earth observation, modelling and analytical techniques, as well as in soft skills.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 15 January 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Filed Under: Doctorate Degree, Information Technology, Physical Science Tags: , , , , , ,

PhD Position ‘Genome Mining for Biological Control’, Netherlands

/ January 12, 2011 1 Comment

Cucumber is one of the most important vegetables in the world and its genome has recently been sequenced. In the proposed research we will exploit this information to improve cucumber traits involved in indirect plant defense (enhancing biological control) and to identify new genes that are (strongly) induced by spider mites and thrips, two major pest herbivores in cucumber. In response to herbivory, plants release a complex blend of volatiles providing valuable cues for herbivores and their natural enemies. In cucumber, the volatile profile emitted after spider-mite or thrips infestation mainly consists of terpenoids, such as (E)-?-ocimene and (E)-4,8-dimethyl nonatriene. Both components are known to be attractive to predatory mites and other natural enemies. Previous research demonstrated that biological control of cell-feeding herbivores, such as spider mites but also thrips, can be improved by changing the volatile emission either through a GMO approach by introduction of terpene synthase genes or by exploiting the genetic variation in induced volatile emission already present in cucumber. In the research proposed here we will exploit the recently available knowledge about the cucumber genome to facilitate improvement in biological control of spider mites and thrips in cucumber. Hereto, bioinformatics will be combined with metabolic profiling of volatiles and transcript profiling of the genes that encode for their biosynthesis, in various cucumber accessions. Furthermore, we will study the behaviour of various natural enemies of spider mites and thrips. Our integrated approach consisting of bioinformatics, metabolite profiling, transcriptomics and behavioural analyses will lead to the identification of genes and their regulatory sequences that in cucumber are responsible for (induced) indirect defence mechanisms. The anticipated results will lead to improved biological control of spider mites and thrips in cucumber.

Eligibility:
An MSc degree in Biology, Plant Biotechnology or Plant Sciences with a multidisciplinary profile. You should be a molecular biologist or plant biotechnologist with affinity to bioinformatics and interest in insect-plant interactions. Experience with investigating arthropod behavior and statistics will be considered an additional value. You should be a team player with demonstrable experience in collaboration with (bio)chemists, and/or entomologists. You have a good knowledge of the English language (oral and written), and have excellent communication skills.
Scholarship Application Deadline: 14 January 2011
Further Scholarship Information and Application

Filed Under: Doctorate Degree, Information Technology, Masters Degree, Physical Science Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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