Manuel Martínez, Metagenomics and Single-Cell and Virus Genomics Lab, welcomes expressions of interest from Postdoctoral researchers with an excellent track record of research and publication to apply jointly to the European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme (MSCA-PF).

Metagenomics and Single-Cell and Virus Genomics Lab, explores new ways within Single Cell and Virus Genomics in marine and human (micro-) environments in combination with Metagenomics and viromics with special focus in the interaction of viruses and their hosts in marine systems to understand how these interactions shape the evolution, diversity, and structure of microbial and viral communities. MMG is funded by Moore Foundation, DOE, and National Spanish Agencies. 

For more details, visit our webpage: 

My Lab website http://martinez-garcia-science.weebly.com/

Twitter @ManuelMart_79

Research Gate link:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Manuel_Martinez_Garcia/contributions 

Have a look at our publications here.

THE PROJECT

If you would like to work on marine microbes, vesicles, viruses and climate change, this is your lab and this is your research. Marine microbes are the biological engine of our oceans and are responsible for supporting the growth of the rest of organisms. The signs of climate change are undeniable, and the impact of these changes on biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem function will heavily depend on the response of the marine microbes that underpin the food web. 

My laboratory employs metagenomics, viromics, culturomics, microfluidics, vesiculomics and single-cell and -virus genomics in combination with micro- and mesocosm experiments to study the role of marine microbiome and their biological nanoparticle. Several national and international projects are on-going in our lab in collaboration with international microbiology labs (Dra. Victoria Orphan). Although flexible, this Marie-Curie grant will collaborate and focus on the implementation and developing of microfluidics for virus-host interactions and other applications. Data of microfluidics will be combined with other omic data. In my lab, we focus on the interaction of viruses and their hosts in marine systems to understand how these interactions shape the evolution, diversity, and structure of microbial and viral communities. The PI, Manuel Martínez García is funded by Moore Foundation, DOE, and National Spanish Agencies.

CANDIDATE’S REQUIREMENTS:

*Research Field 

The applicant, according to his previous background and interest, could will participate in any of the abovementioned research lines that tackle crucial aspects of the new challenges in marine microbes, vesicles, viruses and climate change.

* Call requirements: 

Warning: Applicants should check eligibility and mobility conditions of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, such as:

a) To be eligible should have a PhD at the time of the deadline for applications and must have a maximum of eight years’ experience in research.

b) Comply with mobility rules: Not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

* How to Apply: 

Applicants shall send a CV (max. 4 pages) including a brief description of your career, main publications, contributions to congresses, and experience in the fieldwork, together with a one-page research proposal to m.martinez@ua.es, before 30th June 2024.

 The International RTD Projects Unit will provide you a tailor made support and guidance during the proposal preparation with the following:

• Administrative aspects 
• Budget preparation
• Funding & Tenders Opportunities Portal
• Training on how to write a competitive MSCA PF proposal (July3-4th, 2025) online.
• Proposal revision by our staff

HOST INSTITUTION

The University of Alicante (UA) was created in 1979. In 2024-25 UA educated and trained 26.473 students (58,79% women) who are enrolled in any of the 54 undergraduate and 96 postgraduate programmes, being one of the fastest growing universities in Spain. UA employs 4.293 researchers and management staff (47% women), with an annual budget of 269 million Euros in 2024. Currently, UA is investing near to 68M Euros to boost frontier research and technology transfer processes via spin off, licensing and international promotion mainly. In 2024, the University received 41.5 million Euros at National, Regional, European level and private R&D thanks to 1.016 new agreements achieved by researchers working in 251 research groups hosted in 13 Research Institutes, most of them multidisciplinary based. Despite its youth, the University of Alicante is already present in the three main university rankings in the world, as shown here.

In 2024, the University of Alicante has consolidated its position in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU-FIELD), known as Shanghai Ranking, in its classification by fields of knowledge. In the 2024 edition, the University of Alicante has managed to further improve on last year’s excellent performance in the field of Tourism and Hotel Management, when it was ranked 76-100th in the world. Excellent performance has also been achieved in other fields of knowledge, such as in Nursing (151-200) and Chemical Engineering (401-500); Ecology (201-300) and Economics ranked 401-500th in the world classification.

Amongst this international activity, UA´s involvement in European Programmes has been increasing since CECA Programme and improving leadership, taking part in 50 FP5 and FP6, 49 FP7, 51 H2020 and 37 Horizon Europe projects. This activity is not only limited to DG Research, but also intensive in other Programmes: 29 Erasmus Mundus, 65 Tempus and 35 Lifelong Learning Projects, 12 DG Justice Actions and 7 Life Grants among others (Funding and Tenders EC data). Also, UA is strategically involved in several EU initiatives: BBI, Hydrogen Europe Research, EERA, EOSC, etc.

In terms of international proposal and post grant award, UA offers a tailor made support to researchers at legal, financial and administrative level provided by  the International RTD Projects Unit with a strong track record in supporting European RTD-consortia in proposal preparation, communication with the funding authorities and project reporting. UA is also partner of the European IP Helpdesk and coordinates the Latin America and India IP SME Helpdesks and the is Regional Node of Enterprise Europe Network for 17 years now. 

Furthermore, UA became EURAXESS contact point through University of Alicante’s Research Talent Attraction Office, intended as a one-stop, centrally managed platform to support researchers wishing to join our University.

UA has been awarded with the HRS4R seal, that endorses our commitment to the principles of “The European Charter for Researchers” and “The Code of Conduct for the recruitment of Researchers”.