Project description
We invite expressions of interest from motivated researchers for a PhD project investigating the role of microbial and viral communities in biogeochemical processes within Arctic permafrost landscapes. The project focuses on how microbial metabolism, including its modulation by viruses, contributes to gas exchange at the interfaces between permafrost soils and lakes. Using metagenomic data, measured gas fluxes, and environmental metadata, the researcher will explore links between microbial functional potential and ecosystem-level processes. Soil and lake samples were collected during a 2024 field campaign in the Canadian Arctic. We particularly welcome candidates with backgrounds in bioinformatics, microbial ecology, environmental microbiology, or related fields. A willingness to learn high-throughput sequencing analysis and microbial functional profiling is essential, and cultivation of Arctic soil microbes is possible within the project. The position offers flexibility for the researcher to develop their own scientific ideas within a broader framework of microbe-environment interactions and their climate relevance.
Research program
Explore the microbial community composition (abundance and diversity) as well as the microbial and viral metabolic role in Arctic permafrost ecosystems in relation to typical environmental perturbations by using -omics approaches combined with cultivation of saprophytic gas producing key players in such habitats such as bacteria from the phylum Planctomycetota along with their phages. Changes in microbial communities and metabolic potential will be linked to gas exchange fluxes.
Working group
The successful PhD candidate will join the junior research group of Dr. Janina Rahlff embedded in the RNA Bioinformatics & High Throughput Analysis group at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. Associated molecular laboratories are accessible via the Fritz Lipmann Institute e.V. (FLI). Microbial laboratories are available in the Department of Microbial Interactions (Friedrich Schiller University) in the group of Prof. Christian Jogler. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the Eco-Meteorology Group at Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, offering expertise in biometeorology and flux observations relevant to this project. The project team combines strong expertise in microbial and viral ecology, cultivation and computational methods and biogeochemical and flux analysis.
Requirements
Applications to the IMPRS-gBGC are open to well-motivated and highly-qualified students from all countries. Prerequisites for this PhD project are:
- Master's degree in biogeochemistry, environmental science, bioinformatics, (geo-)ecology, biology, soil or aquatic sciences, or another discipline related to environmental sciences
- Strong motivation to work in a highly interdisciplinary project.
- Additional lab skills that would be advantageous
- Molecular techniques (RNA/DNA extraction)
- Experience with microbial cultivation
- Micro-respiration experiments
- Computational skills (essential or strong affinity)
- Processing and analyzing metagenomic datasets and predicting microbial and viral metabolic potential (e.g., using Bash, R)
- Statistical data analysis
- Interest in integrating microbiological and biogeochemical datasets
- Strong interest in handling large bioinformatic datasets (a central component of this PhD project)
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required, knowledge of German is an asset
The Max Planck Society (MPS) strives for gender equality and diversity. The MPS aims to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented. Women are therefore explicitly encouraged to apply. We welcome applications from all fields. The MPS has set itself the goal of employing more severely disabled people. Applications from severely disabled persons are expressly encouraged.
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