SciLifeLab aims to build a capability for Planetary Biology, connecting the unique competencies of SciLifeLab’s infrastructure platforms, technologies, and data-driven life science with the research communities in the field of planetary biology. Today, a call is open for a Scientific Lead and/or co-leads to plan and guide this endeavor.

SciLifeLab views planetary biology as a diverse, dynamic and evolving research area with strong global impact, which spans from single molecules and cells to individual species, species communities, ecosystems and their function on the planet

Recently, SciLifeLab established a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), where one area of joint interest is planetary biology. EMBL has defined planetary biology as follows: Planetary biology aims to understand, from the molecular to the population level, how microbes, plants, and animals respond to each other and to their environment.

Planetary biology topics were already mentioned in the 10-year roadmap for SciLifeLab in 2019. In addition, the international advisory board (IAB) has encouraged SciLifeLab to venture towards Planetary Biology topics that have been traditionally under-represented in research activities as well as infrastructure services.

The newly launched SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS) will focus on data-driven evolution and biodiversity as one of its key application areas. Therefore, along with the high-throughput, comprehensive and data-intensive technologies available at the SciLifeLab infrastructure platforms, this opens up powerful opportunities to launch the new planetary biology capability.

Now, SciLifeLab seeks a Scientific Lead and/or co-leads to plan and guide this endeavor.

“We hope that we will find plenty of interest to this assignment in the research community. The combination of SciLifeLab infrastructure, and the data-driven life science program, along with an opportunity to interact with the entire research community provides a lot of opportunities. We have previously launched SciLifeLab capabilities in Pandemic Laboratory Preparedness and in Precision Medicine, so we are happy to now announce a new one in this broad field, with strong opportunities for exciting international collaborations and grand challenge initiatives”, says SciLifeLab Director Olli Kallioniemi.

Visit the call page to read more and apply before January 20.