Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:

Myxozoans are some of the most bizarre and fascinating parasites known to science. They are highly reduced cnidarians (related to jellyfish and corals), which infect fish and other aquatic animals. They can be a serious threat to aquaculture and fisheries, including ornamental trade. The aim of the thesis is to explore myxozoan parasite diversity from fishes of Southern Mexico, an area considered a world biodiversity hotspot. The objective is to screen fish tissue using morphological and molecular methods in the lab. Our recent work showed high diversity of these parasites in Neotropical fishes (Alama-Bermejo et al. 2023 www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38482-2) and the implications of these parasites for the ornamental fish trade and aquaculture. The thesis will continue this line of research.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

No previous knowledge is required. We will train you to use molecular methods (DNA, PCR) to screen fish tissues to detect microscopic parasites. You will also have the chance to use microscopy and morphometric data to characterize new parasites. We need from you someone that has motivation and curiosity, that is committed, organised and responsible for work.

Additional Information:

The fish samples are already available at Vetmeduni and were collected in two field expeditions done in 2024 and 2025, from ornamental and fish food species from Mexico. This is a collaborative project with the Natural History Museum (London, UK).
The dates to start and end are flexible. This thesis will require some molecular lab training, so we need some commitment to come to the lab to do the screening in the first months.

Planned duration of the thesis project:

6 months

Language of the Thesis:

English

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:

Fish Health Division

Contact Person for the Thesis:

Asst. Prof. Gema Alama Bermejo PhD
gema.alama@Vetmeduni.ac.at
Tel: +431250774730

Interested candidates may reply until: 

Asap, flexible starting date

Kurzbeschreibung der Abschlussarbeit/des Themas: 
Eine passende Vitaminversorgung spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Gesundheit, Fruchtbarkeit und Leistung der Milchkühe. Oft kommt diese leider zu kurz mit negativen Konsequenzen, insebesondere bei Hochleistungsmilchkühen. In diesem Projekt soll im Rahmen eines praxisnahen Versuches der Einfluss eines gezieltes Zusatztes an fettlöslicher un wasserlöslicher Vitamine auf die Gesundheit und Leistung untersucht werden.

Anforderungen/erforderliche Kenntnisse: 
Ein überdurchnittlich-abgeschlossenes Studium der Veterinärmedizin, vorzugsweise mit Vertiefung in Widerderkäuermedizin und Interesse an einer Forschungsarbeit zum Thema Ernärhgung und Gesudnheit der Kühe. Fähigkeit der Verfassung von Publikationen in Englischer Sprache. Gute Deutschkentnisse sind von Vorteil.

Zustätzliche Bemerkungen:
Auch Studierende am Ende des Studiums können sich bewerben. Die Dissertationsstelle wird bis zu 30 h/Woche nach dem KV bezahlt werden.

Voraussichtliche Dauer der Abschlussarbeit:
01.05.2024 bis 30.04.2027

Sprache, in der die Abschlussarbeit verfasst werden soll:
Englisch

Organisationseinheit: 
Zentrum für Tierernährung und Tierschutzwissenschaften

Ansprechpartner:in/Betreuer:in für die Abschlussarbeit:

• Prof. Dr. Qendrim Zebeli
• E-Mail: qendrim.zebeli@vetmeduni.ac.at

Rückmeldung von Interessent:innen erbeten bis: 
Ende April 2024

Short Description of the Thesis/Topic:

Topics include:
    •    The role of deleterious mutations for adaptation and maintenance of variation.
    •    Long-term adaptation of local Drosophila populations.
    •    The evolution of ageing.
    •    Inference of selection signatures from time-series data.
    •    Studying the genotype-phenotype map.
    •    Stabilising selection during polygenic adaptation.
    •    Evolution of regulatory networks.

Required Skills and Knowledge:
Over the past years, Vienna has developed into one of the leading centres of population genetics. The Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics has been founded to provide a training opportunity for PhD students to build on this excellent on-site expertise.

We invite applications from highly motivated and outstanding students with a love for evolutionary research and a background in one of the following disciplines: evolutionary genetics, functional genetics, theoretical or experimental population genetics, bioinformatics, mathematics, statistics.
 

Additional Information:
Only complete applications (application form, CV, motivation letter, university certificates, indication of the two preferred topics in a single pdf) received by 14 May 2025 will be considered. Two letters of recommendation need to be sent directly by the referees.

PhD students will receive a monthly salary based on currently € 2.464,80 before tax according to the regulations of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

All information about the about available topics, the training program and the application procedure can be found at www.popgen-Vienna.at

Planned duration of the thesis project:
01.07.2025 to 01.09.2028

Language of the Thesis:
English

Name of the Institute/Clinic/Unit:
Inst. für Populationsgenetik

Contact Person for the Thesis:

Mag. Elisabeth Wagner-Weigerstorfer PhD
elisabeth.wagner-weigerstorfer@Vetmeduni.ac.at
Coordinator, Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics
Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien

T +43 1 25077 4302

Interested candidates may reply until: 
14.05.2025