Postdoctoral researcher: Chemical Diversity of Amazonian Plant

Our Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany houses modern molecular and ecological labs, an herbarium comprising 3,000,000 plant specimens (United Herbaria of UZH and ETH, the 15th largest herbarium in the world), and a Botanical Garden with 8,000 species. The mission of the Department is to “increase the knowledge of plant diversity, the processes and patterns of plant evolution, the relationships between plants and other organisms and aspects of plant conservation.” Our collaborators at the Department of Chemistry have state-of-the-art instruments for screening plant metabolomes, computational facilities with databases of natural products, and structure elucidation software. The University of Zurich has a broad research coverage of organismal and molecular biology. The city of Zurich offers excellent quality of life and attractive surroundings for outdoor sports.

Reporting to Prof Rodrigo Cámara-Leret, the postdoctoral researcher will work within the SNSF Starting Grant project INDIGENOMICS, which investigates the diversity and distribution of plant chemical traits and their relationships with human use. The project aims to document and explain patterns in the chemical diversity of plants used by people, with a particular focus on tropical regions. By integrating metabolomics, biodiversity data, and ethnobotanical information, the project seeks to better understand how plant chemical diversity underpins the benefits that biodiversity provides to societies and how these resources can be conserved and used sustainably.

The Cámara-Leret lab offers a collaborative research environment with high-quality supervision and a vibrant international team. The successful candidate will actively collaborate across disciplines and project partners, including Prof. Lauren Raz (Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá), Prof. Laurent Bigler (Department of Chemistry, UZH), and Dr. Mathieu Perret and Dr. Fred Stauffer (Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève), among others.

Your responsibilities

The post holder will conduct research and provide technical support in metabolomics, including laboratory analyses, data processing, interpretation, publication, and supervision of team members. Key responsibilities include:

• Performing metabolite extractions and LC–MS analyses (positive and negative ionisation) of a large set of 3,000 botanical samples
• Managing and processing large LC–MS datasets, including feature detection, annotation, quality control, and multivariate statistical analyses
• Interpreting results and contributing to the scientific direction of the project
• Contributing to manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and to presentations and reports
• Providing technical support to MSc and PhD students in laboratory procedures and data processing workflows

Your profile

• Hold a PhD in chemical ecology, biology, chemistry, or a related discipline
• Specialist knowledge in untargeted metabolomics
• Demonstrated ability to manage own academic research and associated activities
• Track record of high-quality publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to work effectively within international research teams
• Proficient in spoken and written English and Spanish

Information on your application

Interested applicants should apply by 1 April 2026 with:

1. Motivation letter (2 pages maximum), summarising your research experience, interests, and plans to link chemical traits to ethnobotany beyond previous research (e.g., any publication at https://rcamaraleret.com/publications.html)
2. CV (2 pages maximum)
3. E-mail address of two academic referees

Wir bieten

• Vereinbarkeit Beruf und Privatleben: Flexible Arbeitsmodelle (z.B. Teilzeitarbeit, Mobiles Arbeiten, Jobsharing), Kinderbetreuung bei der Stiftung kihz der UZH und ETH
• Lernen und Entwicklung: Vielfältige Weiterbildungsangebote der UZH und des Kantons Zürich, Sprachenzentrum der UZH und ETH Zürich
• Verpflegung: Vergünstigte Verpflegung in den Mensen und Cafeterias der UZH, Lunch-Check-Karte mit Verpflegungsbeitrag der UZH
• Gesundheit: Sonderkonditionen beim Akademischen Sportverband ASVZ, Kostenlose saisonale Grippeimpfungen, Entspannung im Relax Uniturm
• Vergünstigungen: Mobilität: Carsharing, Autovermietung, Parkplatz, Digitalisierung: Geräte, Programme, Mobile-Abo, Hotels buchen zu attraktiven Preisen
• Anstellungsbedingungen: Grundsätze der UZH, Öffentlich-rechtliche Anstellung für die meisten Mitarbeitenden der UZH
• International Services: Unterstützungsangebote für Personen aus dem Ausland
• Standorte: Campus Zürich Zentrum, Zürich Irchel, Oerlikon und Schlieren, Standorte Zürich West, Alter Botanischer Garten, Botanischer Garten und Lengg