Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences PhD Student Position
For a new EU funded Horizon2020 Marie Skłodowska Curie Innovative Training Network “Microorganisms in Warming Arctic Environments - MicroArctic” we are looking for an early state researcher to join Section 5.3 “Geomicrobiology” as PhD student.
Innovative training networks bring together universities, research centres and companies from different countries worldwide to train a new generation of researchers by cutting-edge methodology, network-wide training events and conferences as well as lab-rotations with the European partners (UK, France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovenia, Romania, Iceland, Norway, Russia).
The successful candidates will be part of a network of 15 PhD fellows within the MicroArctic training network, which has the aim to significantly advance our understanding of changes and adaptation in Arctic microbial communities and their links to weathering and biogeochemical element and nutrient cycling in fast warming Arctic settings.
The offered project addresses the following topic:
Understanding the role of methanogenic archaea within the carbon cycle in a warming Arctic Aim: Mapping archaeal communities in the circum Arctic (Canada, Greenland, Northern Norway, Siberia and Svalbard) and characterizing those members involved in the carbon cycle in permafrost environments by next generation sequencing (Illumina, PacBio) and laboratory based batch experiments (e.g. methanogenesis in dependence of temperature, analyses of enrichment cultures and their plasmid inventory).
Your task: You will perform field work in different Arctic settings and conduct innovative molecular ecological analysis in combination with batch experiments and cultivation to identify and understand microbial-mediated key processes of anaerobic carbon turnover and the response of microbial communities to environmental changes. This also includes work with our methanogenic model organism Methanosarcina soligelidi SMA-21 (Wagner et al., 2013).
Your qualification:
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Microbiology/Biology with a focus in molecular ecology
- experience in microbiological techniques (e.g. cultivation) and DNA/RNA-based analyses (e.g. qPCR, NGS, primer design) and metagenomics/metatranscriptomics for the characterization of microbial communities in permafrost ecosystems
- interested in understanding microbial life in extreme environments
- willingness to work in an international interdisciplinary team
- willingness to develop, and validate novel experimental and analytical approaches
For the applications it is absolutely crucial that before application you ensure that you meet all European Commission’s eligibility criteria (e.g. Mobility Rule: applicants can only be accepted if they have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organisation, in this case Germany, for less than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment). Specific information about theEuropean Commission’s eligibility criteria can be found at http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/index.php?id=5153.
You can expect a very diverse and challenging job in an international work environment that is characterized by exciting research projects. The compatibility of work and family life is of particular concern to the GFZ. Therefore, it offers the opportunity for flexible working time and workplaces. Moreover, there is a kindergarten located on the research campus.
The GFZ is a partner with Geo.X (www.geo-x.net), and as such it is well connected with other geoscience institutions in Potsdam and Berlin. Geo.X forms the largest regional cluster of geoscientific expertise in Europe and offers excellent opportunities for cooperation and development.
Please submit your application by 06. June 2016 quoting the reference no. 33/53/16 D via email to applications@gfz-potsdam.de. Please combine your application documents (letter of motivation, CV and certificates) into a single PDF file with a size of up to 3 megabytes.
Equal opportunity is an inherent part of our personnel policy. Therefore we are particularly welcoming applications from qualified women. Severely disabled persons will be given preferential treatment in the case of equal qualification.
If you have any questions regarding this job offer, please feel free to call Mrs Albrecht at +49 (0) 331-288-28878.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/career/job-offers/job/335316-d-early-stage-researcher-esr-phd-student-position-mf/