Postdoctoral Fellow Recruitment, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University
(Dr. Aikun Fu's Research Group)
The College of Animal Sciences is one of the oldest and most well-established colleges at Zhejiang University. With over a century of sustained development, the College has continuously strengthened its academic excellence and distinctive strengths. It has gathered a large number of high-level professionals and educated tens of thousands of outstanding graduates, making significant contributions to the advancement of green animal husbandry, livestock and poultry disease prevention, as well as the sericulture, apiculture, and aquaculture industries.
The College of Animal Sciences at Zhejiang University warmly welcomes outstanding young talents from around the world to join our postdoctoral research team. Let us work together to create a bright future!
Aikun Fu's Research Group (Recruiting 1-2 Postdoctoral Fellows)
1.Supervisor Profile:Dr. Aikun Fu is a Principal Investigator (Hundred Talents Program) and a doctoral supervisor at Zhejiang University. We work primarily involves basic and applied basic research on the gut microbiota. Research directions include: the regulatory mechanisms of microbe-host interactions within the intestine and solid tissues. We has published over 20 papers in journals such as Cell, Trends in Cell Biology, and Food & Function. Our research group has received support from multiple funding sources. Our research group has received several supports including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund (Category B) and the General Program of the NSFC, and the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Key Project).
Supervisor's Homepage: https://person.zju.edu.cn/0022191#0
2.Research Directions:
(1) High-Throughput Screening System for Functional Components of the Gut Microbiota
We aim to construct a high-throughput screening system to discover probiotic functional components within the gut microbiota. This system will be used to identify microbial functional factors from the animal and human gut microbiota that can improve host metabolism, balance immunity, and extend host lifespan. We are recruiting one postdoctoral fellow with a background in molecular biology.
(2) Engineered Phage Design and Gene Editing
Our research group is progressively establishing a natural phage resource library and has initially built a model and technical framework for AI-driven phage design and phage gene editing. We are seeking to recruit a Ph.D. graduate with a background in gene editing or synthetic biology to rapidly advance this project.
(3) Tissue-Resident Microbiome
My previous research has discovered the existence of a unique intracellular microbiota within breast tumor cells, which can promote the rearrangement of tumor cell actin and enhance cell survivability, thereby facilitating the survival of tumor cells in the circulatory system and their colonization in the lungs. This research was published in Cell as a Featured Article and was also selected as one of Cell's Best Papers of 2022. It has been reported by multiple media and journals, including Xinhua News, Guangming Daily, Nature Reviews Microbiology, Cancer Discovery, and Science Signaling.
Building on this foundation, our group has opened up a new research track in the field of tumor and non-tumor solid tissue microbiomes, establishing a comprehensive technical system. This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund (Category B). We are now recruiting one postdoctoral fellow who is interested in this direction and capable of executing the project.
3.Application Requirements
(1) Possess a relevant academic background in microbiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics analysis, or a related field. Experience in animal research and strong scientific research capabilities are required. Applicants should have published SCI papers as the first author in major academic journals.
(2) Have a good command of English reading and writing, with the ability to independently compose scientific papers in English.
(3) Candidates should be conscientious, responsible, proactive, honest, and trustworthy with excellent communication skills. A strong spirit of teamwork is highly preferred.
4.Contact Information: Interested applicants should send their application materials to aikunfu@zju.edu.cn. Please format the email subject line as: Postdoc Application + Name + Current Institution/University + Contact Information.
Postdoctoral Benefits and Working Conditions
Remuneration: Salary will be provided in accordance with Zhejiang University’s postdoctoral regulations and the candidate’s research background. Additional performance-based research bonuses are available.
Housing & Benefits: Postdoctoral researchers are eligible to rent fully-equipped faculty apartments on campus. The University will arrange pension, medical, and other social insurance contributions.
Research Platform: The research group ensures ample funding and experimental support to facilitate high-quality research.
Career Development: Upon joining, postdocs will be appointed as Assistant Research Fellows. Outstanding researchers will be recommended to apply for national-level young talent programs.
Appointment Period: The appointment is flexible, generally ranging from 2 to 4 years, depending on research progress and project needs.
Required Application Materials
Curriculum Vitae (CV): Including educational background, work experience, research achievements, family status, and English proficiency.
Supporting Documents: Materials that demonstrate research capabilities and academic accomplishments (e.g., published papers, recommendation letters, project experience, awards, etc.).
Research Statement: A description of personal research interests, along with proposed work plans and objectives upon appointment (within 500 words).
All application materials will be kept strictly confidential. Qualified candidates who pass the initial review will be contacted via email or phone to arrange an interview. Following approval from the supervising professor and the College, the selected candidate will complete the official postdoctoral admission procedures at Zhejiang University.