Open Positions

1

Time Span

01 Mar 2024 for 3 years

Application Deadline

18 Dec 2023

Financing

yes

Areas of study

Bioinformatics

Description

The research group Eco-evolutionary Dynamics at the Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology and the research group Aquatic Microbial Ecology at the Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology of IGB invite applications for a 3-year PhD position in microbial ecology starting from 01.03.2024 (or soon thereafter). The PhD position is part of the Leibniz Collaborative Excellence project “Pollution in urban ponds, eco-evolutionary dynamics and ecosystem resilience” (POUNDER) funded by the Leibniz Association and will be located in Berlin-Friedrichshagen at Lake Müggelsee and in Neuglobsow at Lake Stechlin. The overall goal of the POUNDER project is to assess the importance of urban ponds as nature-based solutions to manage climate-related hydrologic risks, while promoting biodiversity and human well-being in cities. POUNDER is an inter- and transdisciplinary project and involves partners from Berlin, Stechlin, Potsdam, Hannover, and the University of Iowa, USA.

The aim of this PhD position is to assess the responses of the free-living pond microbial community and gut microbiome of Daphnia to chemical pollution in urban ponds in Berlin. The respective PhD candidate will focus on microbial community composition from water samples of urban ponds and from Daphnia’s gut and assess their functional responses to pollution, combining field sampling and microbial laboratory experiments. 

The research will combine field sampling of urban ponds in Berlin with small-scale laboratory experiments and analysis of large metagenomics data. We seek a dynamic scientist who is highly motivated to conduct a PhD and join existing interdisciplinary and international science teams. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact with scientists from different institutions and to establish a broad network within and outside of academia. IGB provides an attractive working environment, has excellent equipment, technical support, and state-of-the-art infrastructure to conduct the PhD and provides a PhD programme for PhD candidates.