Diversity, ecology, and interactions of Perkinsea parasitic protists in freshwater ecosystems (PERKFresh)
Join us!
3-year post-doc position investigating Perkinsea diversity, ecology & interactions.
Application deadline: 6 November 2026.
Full job advertisement: EURAXESS – Postdoctoral Position PERKFresh
Project description
Parasitism is one of the most common life strategies in nature. Wherever we look—oceans, lakes, soil, or even our own bodies—we find parasites. Parasites can strongly influence the health and survival of their hosts, often shaping how entire communities function. Unicellular eukaryotes, also known as protists, are no exception. Many well-known parasites, such as Trypanosoma, Plasmodium, or Toxoplasma, represent different protist lineages. Although the best-investigated examples often infect humans, animals, or plants, many protists parasitise other protists.
Freshwater environments host a remarkable diversity of microscopic eukaryotes, yet the interactions among these organisms remain largely uncharacterized. Among the most diverse lineages frequently detected in environmental surveys is a group known as Perkinsea. Molecular data indicate that these organisms are numerous, widespread and highly diverse in freshwater environments. We also know that some marine species of Perkinsea parasitise molluscs, fish, and protists. However, in freshwater ecosystems, the hosts and ecological roles of most Perkinsea lineages are still largely unknown.
In this project, we aim to uncover key aspects of the biology of freshwater Perkinsea. To learn about the diversity, ecological roles, and host ranges of Perkinsea, we will sample lakes in the Masurian Lakeland of northeastern Poland, a region with a variety of freshwater habitats that display environmental gradients from pristine to heavily impacted by human activity. We will use a combination of cutting-edge methods, such as long-read metabarcoding and single-cell sequencing, followed by laboratory experiments and advanced data analysis, to study the obtained samples.
By analysing their environmental diversity in different lake environments, we aim to improve our understanding of Perkinsea ecology, for example, the factors that shape their diversity and abundance, and their effects on potential host populations, such as unicellular algae. Understanding the role of all players in freshwater ecosystems is essential for protecting these environments and for preserving aquatic biodiversity. We also plan to identify the hosts of Perkinsea and examine host-parasite interactions using detailed transcriptomic analyses. Determining the hosts of the parasites and analysing the interaction between the two partners is important because it will reveal how infections spread and which species are at risk. More broadly, this research will shed light on the role of parasitism in freshwater ecosystems in general and contribute to a better understanding of how human activities can influence the ecological impact of these parasites.
