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Open call
Call

4-year pre-doctoral contract (JAE-PREDOC) for the OLDMUSSEL project.

Term: 25/08/2026
Description

The Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) is launching a selection process to recruit pre-doctoral research staff as part of the OLDMUSSEL project – Analysis of the long-term adaptation of bivalves to environmental change using ancient remains.

The project proposes interdisciplinary research integrating archaeology, genomics and ecology to understand how populations of aquatic organisms have adapted to long-term climate change and fishing pressure over thousands of years. The study will use mussels and oysters as model species, with the Galician estuaries serving as a natural laboratory.

The PhD thesis will be carried out at the Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) in Vigo, under the supervision of Prof. Sofia Consuegra (ACUABIOTEC Laboratory) and the Immunology and Genomics group, comprising Prof. Antonio Figueras and Dr Magali Rey. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the OLDSALMO project and its multidisciplinary team. The successful candidate will undertake their PhD at the University of Vigo, where they will be assigned an academic supervisor.

The contract will run for four years.

Main duties

The successful candidate will take part in the following research activities:

  • Establishment of a genetic baseline dating back between 5,000 and 10,000 years through sampling campaigns at archaeological sites containing prehistoric shell middens and museum collections in the north of the Iberian Peninsula.

  • Development and optimisation of new protocols for the extraction and validation of ancient DNA from historical samples.

  • Analysis of temporal changes in genomic diversity, quantification of genetic erosion and study of morphological traits, such as size and age, to link evolutionary changes to past climatic events.

  • Research into the long-term evolutionary genetics of bivalves, including the study of the open pan-genome and the expansion of genes related to the immune system.

The project will involve collaboration with the Department of Prehistory at the University of Cantabria for the archaeological work. Furthermore, fieldwork, laboratory work and phenotypic analyses will be carried out in coordination with the OLDSALMO project team.

The successful candidate will receive specialised training in molecular laboratory techniques, bioinformatics, omics applied to aquatic populations, mollusc ecology, molecular evolution, image analysis and advanced statistics.

Requirements

Applicants must have:

  • Degree in Biology, Molecular Ecology or related disciplines, and a Master’s degree in Evolutionary Biology, Phylogenetics, Bioinformatics or related fields

  • Interest in undertaking a doctoral thesis within an international and interdisciplinary research environment.

Criteria to be assessed

The following will be particularly valued:

  • Experience in working with degraded DNA (ancient DNA and/or environmental DNA).

  • Research experience in aquatic ecosystems.

Submission of applications

Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

  • An up-to-date CV.

  • Letter of motivation.

The deadline for applications is 25 August 2026.

Interviews will take place on 31 August and 1 September 2026 online via Zoom.

Contact

Applications should be sent to any of the following email addresses:

Further information on the OLDSALMO project: https://oldsalmo.csic.es