Comparative predator-prey co-evolution in complex microbial communities
Applications are invited for a postdoc position and a PhD position in the group of Greg Velicer at ETH Zurich as part of our team researching predator-prey co-evolution in species-rich microbial communities. 

Both positions will focus primarily on the evolution experiment MyxoEE-KillerProfiles, the first phase of which is visually summarized at https://www.myxoee.org/newmyxoees. In MyxoEE-KillerProfiles, highly diverse predators of microbes — Bdellovibrio-and-like-organisms, dictyostelids, nematodes and myxobacteria — are co-evolving with a 20-species synthetic community of bacterial prey in both single-predator and multiple-predator treatments. 
Among other questions, we are asking how different predators comparatively shape prey-community evolution and themselves comparatively evolve at predation-related traits. We also ask how combining multiple predators together alters the evolution of each predator and of the prey community. Evolved communities and organisms will be analyzed with various approaches addressing fitness, behavior, collective phenotypes, genomes, community composition and molecular-genetic mechanisms of adaptation. The postdoc who developed the protocols for and conducted the first phase of MyxoEE-KillerProfiles, Dr. Jos Kramer, has started his own group with an ERC Starting Grant on a different project.
We seek candidates with a strong record of creative research from any relevant training background who thrive at both team and individual work in a scientifically and culturally diverse group.  Relevant training areas include evolutionary community ecology, community metagenomics, experimental evolution, microbial ecology, microscopy, and molecular genetics.  
The selected postdoc will help mentor younger group members involved in the project. The postdoc will be supported from a Swiss National Science Foundation grant while a competitive fellowship (e.g. ETH, EMBO, MSCA) is sought, potentially for up to three years. 
To apply for one of the positions, send one file to Rita Jenny at rita.jenny@env.ethz.ch that includes a motivation statement (one page max), your CV and contact information for two persons who have agreed to serve as references. Review of applications will begin June 29th. Specify the relevant position with a subject line of either “predation postdoc” or “predation PhD”. Informal inquiries can be sent to gregory.velicer@env.ethz.ch.
Zurich, Switzerland has vibrant communities of ecologists, evolutionary biologists and microbiologists that offer many opportunities for interaction and collaboration. (https://ibz.ethz.ch/research/eco-evo-zurich.html) 
Background
Velicer group research: https://evo.ethz.ch/
Myxobacteria Evolution Experiments: myxoee.org
New review article on microbial predation: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-026-01299-7

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