Animal evolution from a cell type perspective: multidisciplinary training in single-cell genomics, evo-devo and in science outreach

Summary

The aim of EvoCELL is to lay the foundation for a new branch of evo-devo focussing on cell types. We will study fundamental questions in animal evolution and development - eg. how new cell types arise in evolution, how many are in common between different animal groups and how many unique cell types have evolved in different animal lineages- using a new technology, single cell sequencing, which we will for the first time employ outside of lab models to sample the great diversity of animal phyla. EvoCELL will train a new generation of multidisciplinary scientists skilled in exploring the vast breadth of animal differentiation. We will jointly sample data from all major animal lineages, richly represented in the biodiversity of European waters, and develop new tools for comparative analyses, through which we will together pioneer three branches of cell evo-devo: evolution of stem cells; emergence of animal life cycles, and the stunning diversity of neural cell types. Through their excellent interdisciplinary and intersectoral training, from single-cell biology and palaeontology to bioinformatics and public outreach, our graduates will be in prime positions to assume leadership roles in academia, industry, and science outreach.

What we do

We are one of ten partners and are contributing to the diversity and evolution of neuronal cell types.

Partners

European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg - DE; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli – IT; Uppsala University, Uppsala – SE; University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg – DE; University of Exeter, Exeter - UK; University College London, London – UK; Sars International Center for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen – NO; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villefranches sur mer, Lion - FR; Non-academic partners: Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin – DE; Genomix4Life, Salerno - IT

Research Area

Organismal Biology

Project Lifetime

January 2018 to December 2022

SZN Role

Partner

Principal Investigator

Maria I. Arnone

People involved

2 ESRs to be hired

Funding Institution

European Commission, Horizon 2020 Call for Proposal: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2017. Grant Agrement no. 766053.

Contribution to SZN

€344081,76 (EU contribution)

Dedicated website

https://www.evocell-itn.eu/

Media - Pictures

Meet the team

Maria I. Arnone, Researcher
Periklis Paganos, PhD student

Coordinated Research Infrastructures Building Enduring Life-science Services

Summary

CORBEL is an initiative of thirteen new biological and medical research infrastructures (BMS RIs), which together will create a platform for harmonised user access to biological and medical technologies, biological samples and data services required by cutting-edge biomedical research. CORBEL will boost the efficiency, productivity and impact of European biomedical research. Individually, the services offered by the BMS RIs are critical to their own user communities. Collectively, through CORBEL, they will be transformative across the range of life-science disciplines: from generation of knowledge at the bench to patient treatment at the bedside.

What we do

The SZN participate to the WP4 (Community Driven Cross-Infrastructure joint research – Bioscience): Use case 4 (Marine Metazoan Developmental Models for BioMedical research - from predictive integrated databases to functional testing), coordinated by CNRS-Villefrances-sur-Mer (Evelyn Houliston). Within this WP the SZN hired for 18 mo the bioinformatician postdoc Elijah K. Lowe to work at enabling genomics and databases for Paracentrotus lividus.

Partners

Altogether, the CORBEL consortium comprises 37 individual partner institutions from 13 ESFRI Biological and Medical Sciences Research Infrastructures (BMS RI). Partners within WP4 are: EMBL-HD, EMBL-EBI, UMCU, ICFO, CRG, BRFAA, HMGU, CIRMMP, CSIC, CNRS, SZN, USTAN, FVB, MDC, VU/VUmc, DKFZ.

Research Area

Research Infrastructure

Project Lifetime

September 2015 to August 2019

SZN Role

Partner

Principal Investigator

Maria I. Arnone

People involved

Elijah K. Lowe - Salvatore D’Aniello - Anna Palumbo - Filomena Ristoratore

Funding Institution

European Commission Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Grant agreement No 654248.

Contribution to SZN

€90.700,00. (EU contribution)

Dedicated website

http://www.corbel-project.eu/home.html

Media - Pictures

Corbel Twitter

Corbel You tube channel

Summary

ASSEMBLE Plus is a consortium of marine biological research stations in 16 countries, operating under the umbrella of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC-ERIC). The consortium provides scientists from academia, industry and government with transnational access to its marine biological research facilities, its historical data, and to advanced training opportunities, ASSEMBLE Plus aims to stimulate fundamental and applied research excellence in marine biology and ecology in Europe.

What we do

The 39 partner stations in the consortium provide access to a wide range of marine ecosystems, including the Red Sea, the Caribbean and Svalbard. We aim at attracting not only marine biological projects but also ones from non-marine sciences and from the private sector. We further aim to improve service provision by developing novel technologies and data solutions. Access to our stations is Trans-National, meaning that you can access ASSEMBLE Plus stations in any partner country other than the country in which you are employed.
If you wish to make use of this access program, you need to submit a short research proposal, and if this is selected, you will be able to carry out your proposed research at a marine partner station of your choice. The expenses of your stay as well as your travel costs will be covered, within certain limits, by ASSEMBLE Plus. If you are employed outside the EU, you can make use of the access program as well, but some restrictions apply.
For more information on ASSEMBLE Plus, including information on calls for proposals, rules, application- and access procedures, and submission deadlines, see http://www.assembleplus.eu. For any specific questions, contact Access Officer Florence Guillot; Email: access (at) embrc.eu

Partners

ASSEMBLE Plus Access Providers in the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC-ERIC) are:
• EMBRC-Belgium (VLIZ, UGENT),
• EMBRC-France (Sorbonne Universités, CNRS),
• EMBRC-Greece (HCMR),
• EMBRC-Israel (HUJI),
• EMBRC-Italy (SZN, CNR),
• EMBRC-Norway (UiB),
• EMBRC-Portugal (CCMAR, IMAR, CIIMAR),
• EMBRC-Spain (UPV/EHU, UVIGO),
• EMBRC-UK (SAMS, USTAN, MBA, NERC-BAS, MSS),

ASSEMBLE Plus Access Providers not currently member of EMBRC-ERIC:
• Finland (UH),
• Germany (AWI, MPIMM),
• Ireland (NUIG),
• The Netherlands (NIOZ),
• Poland (IOPAN, UG-Gdansk),
• Slovenia (NIB),
• Sweden (UGOT – SLC).

Detailed information on the Access Providers is available on the ASSEMBLE Plus website at http://www.assembleplus.eu/

This distributed partnership provides access to diverse marine ecosystems and their biodiversity of the European coastal seas, the Red Sea (HUJI), the Caribbean (NIOZ), the Arctic (IOPAN) and the Antarctic (NERC-BAS).

Research Area

Research Infrastructure

Project Lifetime

48 months as of 1 October 2017

SZN Role

The SZN lead the Work Package “NA1 Improving Transnational Access (TA) provision”, coordinating the input from UPMC, UGOT, UPV/EHU, CCMAR, VLIZ, MSS.
The main objectives are:
• Establish a policy for regulating, granting and supporting TA;
• Set up single-access point for TA to the offered infrastructure;
• Test TA-pipelines through ASSEMBLE Plus and cognates in joint calls;
• Share best practices among platforms and services;
• Improve the efficiency of TA service provision.

SZN is involved as partner in three Joint Research Activities (JRAs).
JRA1 Genomics observatories
JRA3 Functional genomics
JRA4 Development of instrumentation

TA: In Italy, the SZN coordinates the transnational access to SZN in Naples and Ischia and to its Third Parties ISMAR-CNR in Venice http://www.ismar.cnr.it and IAMC-CNR in Messina http://www.iamc.cnr.it/index.php/contattaci/). All give access to Mediterranean pelagic and benthic hard- and soft bottom ecosystems.

SZN includes the main building in the Villa Comunale in Naples, the benthic ecology laboratory at Ischia Porto and the turtle research centre at Portici. Visitors have access to service platforms and research laboratories. SZN does not operate a guesthouse given ample supply of hotels and B&Bs nearby. SZN has extensive experience with collecting and maintaining model species and performing multi- disciplinary research on these organisms http://www.szn.it/index.php/en/research

Principal Investigator

Wiebe H.C.F. Kooistra

Funding Institution

Université Sorbonne coordinates the project.

Contribution to SZN

€ 1.017.745,25 of which € 289.702,00 to the Third Parties

Dedicated website

http://www.assembleplus.eu/

Marie Curie ITN EvoCELL

PhD Program Open University - Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn

Contract of collaboration n. 09/2017 (to be mentioned in the application)

Public call for the selection, based on examination of qualifications and interview, to assign the contract of collaboration n. 09/2017

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
WHEREAS

- the articles 2222 and following ones of the Civil Code
- The local body of rules for the conferring tasks of of Collaboration, Study, Research and Consultancy and for the establishment of a Panel of Experts qualified to provide specialist support, Deliberation of the Administration Council n. 16 of 17 December 2009;

- the Set of Rules of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN) - Open University (OU) – Ph.D. Programme (approved with deliberation of the Administration Council n. 9 of 04/04/2017)

- the Grant Agreement n. 766053 (Prot. 4523 del 13/09/2017) ‘Animal evolution from a cell type perspective: multidisciplinary training in single-cell genomics, evo-devo and in science outreach — EvoCELL’ whose duration is 48 months starting 01/01/2018 and that foresee the training of a PhD student on the theme “The neuropeptidergic system of the sea urchin larva: insight into the evolutionary origins of pancreatic and photoreceptor cell types”;

- the guide for applicants Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Call Identifier: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015

DECLARES

the opening of the following Call for a PhD position as indicated in the following art. 1

Art. 1 Subject of the Call

It is published a Public Call, based on examination of qualifications and interview, for a PhD position in the framework of the Marie Slovodska ITN EvoCELL “Animal evolution from a cell type perspective: multidisciplinary training in single-cell genomics, evo-devo and in science outreach”, to carry out a PhD Program with the project “The neuropeptidergic system of the sea urchin larva: insight into the evolutionary origins of pancreatic and photoreceptor cell types” with Director of Studies of Maria I. Arnone

Type of contract: employer-coordinated freelance work;

PhD Program: Open University – Stazione Zoologica
(UK PhD Degree)

Duration of the contract: 36 months;

Gross salary amount: The gross salary is approximately € 38000 (gross) per year, for three years, from which taxes and personal income tax will be subtracted. A family allowance of € 500 (gross) will be paid to the contractors who have family;

Tax treatment, social security scheme and insurance: the following provisions apply to the contract:
• If the contractor is resident in Italy, the contract is liable to:
- Personal income tax (IRPEF);
- Regional and local additional personal income tax;
- Social Insurance Contribution (INPS) (as provided by Art. 2, par. 26 and following ones, Law 8 August 1995, n. 335 as amended and supplemented, 1/3 of the 33,23 % or 24,00%, depending on the Social Security institution to which the contractor is registered to, will be on the contractor’s charge);
- Mandatory insurance against accident at work (INAIL - National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work), 1/3 of the due amount as provided by the Legislative Decree of 23 February 2000, n. 38.
• If the contractor is not resident in Italy, the contract is subject to:
- Personal income tax (IRPEF) 30% (art. 25 par.2 of Presidential Decree no. 600/73 or, alternatively, the treatments provided for by bilateral conventions.

Methods of payment: monthly posticipated;

Art. 2 Eligibility criteria

a) As provided in the guide for applicants Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Call Identifier: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015, candidates can be of any nationality, but they are required to undertake transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up their appointment.
Therefore, nationality is not a criterion. Rather the location of the candidate's residence or main activity during the 3 years prior to their recruitment is determining (see mobility rule).
b) To possess all civil and political rights;
c) To be not dismissed or laid off from the public service, for persistent poor performance, or be declared lost or being dismissed by a public employment, or banned from public office on the basis of res judicata;
d) To not have pending criminal proceedings or criminal convictions that undermines the possibility to conclude contracts of collaboration with the Public Administration;
e) Applicants should hold an advanced degree such as a Master of Science (M.Sc.) or its equivalent in a scientific area coherent with the project proposed before the start of the contract;
f) The PhD Program is in English. Therefore, applicants must possess sufficient command of the English language to receive training, present their work and to prepare and defend a thesis in English. Fluency in spoken English will be assessed during the entrance interview and is a strict prerequisite;

Mobility Rule: at the time of recruitment by the host organization, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Italy for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date.
Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account. As far as international European interest organizations or international organizations are concerned, this rule does not apply to the hosting of eligible researchers. However, the appointed researcher must not have spent more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

Art. 3 How to apply

1 Read the abstract of the projects: “The neuropeptidergic system of the sea urchin larva: insight into the evolutionary origins of pancreatic and photoreceptor cell types”;

2 Download and fill the Application form, complete and rename it before saving and sending;

3 Download the form for the recommendation letter and send it to 2 persons acquainted with the candidate’s professional achievements, who are able to give a qualified judgment on his/her skills and professional qualities as perspective PhD student.
The letters of recommendation are an essential part of the application. It is candidates’ responsibility to contact referees and to ensure that they send the form before the deadline for receiving applications on 15/12/2017.
Please forward the form to each of the two referees and ask them to complete it and sent it directly to the email address: phdszn(at)szn.it, from their institutional email address.
4 Download the checklist and be sure that you have all the required documents;

5 Send the filled Application Form together with the required attachments to the email address phdszn(at)szn.it WITHIN the Deadline 15/12/2017 h. 12.00.
Please indicate in the subject of the email: Contract of collaboration n. 09/2017.

Application received after the deadline will not be included in the selection procedure.

Art. 4 Attachment to the application from

1) scanned copies of the official certificate(s) of completion of the degree(s) with examinations passed and grades;
2) a CV (European format).
3) scanned copy of an Identity Document in due course

Art. 5 Evaluation Committee

Students will be selected by a 3 members Commission, nominated by the President, among the members of the PhD Board. They usually include the Director of Studies and a member of the PhD Coordination Committee.

Art. 6 Selection procedure

Applicants will receive a reply message to their application.
If you do not receive any email from us, please contact the person responsible of the procedure, phdszn(at)szn.it.
Applications will be evaluated by a Selection Committee on the basis of the candidate’s Education grade, experience and skills in the project area, motivation, reference letters and English proficiency. Selected candidates will be invited for interviews.

Art. 7 Interviews

The interviews (remote telematics connection is allowed) will be conducted in English and candidates will be asked to present their previous scientific experience and to discuss the project to which they are applying to. Their proficiency in English will be also tested.
Short listed candidates will be invited to the interview via email.
The interviews will take place between December 19th and 21st at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, in a room with open access to public.
The interviews will be in person for the candidates resident in the province of Naples, all other candidates can be interviewed through remote internet video conference (e.g., Skype).

Art. 8 Exclusion from the selection

The Director General of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn may determine the exclusion of a candidate at any time, due to lack of requirements.

Art. 9 Order of merit and nomination of the winner

On completion of assessment procedure, the Commission will make the order of merit determined by the assessment of qualifications and interview examination.
The winner will be the candidate, usefully classified in order of merit. In case of equal merit of two or more candidates, the winner will be the youngest candidate.

The ranking list will be used to select another candidate in case of renounce or revocation of the right to be conferred the contract, of the selected one.
The President approves the order of merit and nominates the winner.
The candidates will be notified the result of the selection via email. The result will also be posted at the official board and on the web site of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

The final appointment of the successful candidates is subject to the approval of the Open University.

The activity is expected to start on 01/01/2018

Art. 10 Privacy policy

Under the decree of the 30 of June 2003, n. 196, the personal data of candidates will be collected and processed by the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, exclusively for the purposes of managing the selection.

Art. 11 Contract

Within 10 days from the selection of the winning candidate, the Director General will sign an employer-coordinated freelance work with the winner, as provided in the articles 2222 and following ones of the Civil Code.
The contractor carries out his/her PhD Project, with no employment bonds, within a coordinated freelance work .
The contract signing is subject to the respect of the law 19/2012 for the prevention and sanctioning of corruption and illegality in the public administration.

Art. 12 Withdrawal

The contractor my request to terminate the contract, with the prior notice of fifteen days. In such a case, the remuneration due to the contractor will be recalculated in proportion to the actual activity carried out.
In case of failure to notice, the Stazione Zoologica has the right to retain an amount corresponding to the fee for the non-given notice period.
This amount may be reduced, at the discretion of the Stazione Zoologica, in the event of a withdrawal for a good cause or justified reason.

Art. 13 – Termination of the contract

The contract may be terminated with a provision of the Director General. The request for revocation shall be made, in case of serious breach of the contractual obligations, on the proposal of the Director of Studies and the PhD Board and also heard the person concerned.
As provided by the art. 1353 of the Italian Civil Code, the completion of the research project or its interruption for causes outside the control of the SZN, upon a 15 days prior notice.
In such a case, the contractor will be paid for the activity actually carried out.

Art. 14 - Announcement

This call will be published on the web site of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and on the web site euraxess.ec.europa.eu

Art. 15 – Person responsible of the procedure

The Responsible of the procedure is Gabriella Grossi

Art. 16 - Legislation

Any issue not expressly mentioned in the present call, refers to the laws and regulations in force.

If you have any question regarding the application process, please, contact Gabriella Grossi at phdszn(at)szn.it.

Download the call

Download the project abstract 

Download the application form

Download the referee form

Download the application checklist