PhD position - Targeted metagenomics of eukaryotic microbes

The Comparative Genomics & Metagenomics Lab (CGMLab, https://cgmlab.org) at the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP, UPM-INIA/CSIC, Madrid) offered a 4-year PhD position, funded by the 2026 FPI programme, to study the Unknown Microbial Biosphere (UMB) through novel metagenomic approaches.

NOTE: This call is now closed. It is kept here for reference.

About The Project

Contribute to a newly launched project exploring the Unknown Microbial Biosphere (UMB) through novel metagenomic approaches. The project focuses on enhancing the phylogenetic resolution and characterization of uncultivated eukaryotic microbes. These methods are tested and applied to monitor microbial biodiversity in plant–soil ecosystems at the Real Jardín Botánico of Madrid.

About Our Group

The Comparative Genomics and Metagenomics Lab, led by Dr. Jaime Huerta-Cepas, offers an excellent interdisciplinary training environment that combines wet-lab experimental approaches, computational tools, and large-scale metagenomic analyses. Learn more at https://cgmlab.org

Candidate Profile

• Core background: strong foundation in computational biology / bioinformatics (ideally applied to microbial genomics/ecology, functional genomics, or phylogenomics).
• Technical skills: proficient programming and computational skills for bioinformatics (e.g. Python, R, Unix/Linux).
• Experience (desirable): metagenomics, phylogenetics or microbial ecology; experience bridging computational genomics and experimental data is a plus.
• Language: good communication skills in English.

Conditions

• Funding: full-time, 4-year contract funded by the 2026 FPI programme (contract PREP2024-003388).
• Start date: expected June 2026.
• Location: Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Madrid. On-site.

HOW TO APPLY (this call is closed)

1. Contact: email Dr. Jaime Huerta-Cepas ([email protected]) with a brief motivation paragraph (research interests, background, project suitability), your CV, and contact details for academic references.

2. Official submission (deadline 25 March 2026): submit your application to the 2026 FPI call under contract PREP2024-003388 via the official call website.