The University Duisburg-Essen (Campus Essen), Faculty of Chemistry, Biofilm Centre, Department of Aquatic Microbiology, offers a PhD student position (f/m) (salary equivalent to TV-L 13).

Project description

• Participation in the DFG research project “Unraveling principles of microbial community assembly using naturally replicated microbiomes”. The project aims at obtaining a more systematic understanding of how deterministic and neutral processes influence the composition of microbial communities.
• To this end, the PhD student will analyze the species composition and functional trait composition of naturally replicated microbial communities living in tiny water droplets enclosed in oil.
• The observed species and functional trait patterns will be compared to a neutral model for community assembly and to the environmental conditions in the droplets.

Person specifications

• We expect the applicant to have a Masters degree in Biology, Microbiology, Water Science or related subject with a background in ecological theory, molecular biology, and bioinformatics.

PhD details

• Start of position: as soon as possible
• Contract period: 36 months (In accordance with a change of regulations in the Act of Academic Fixed-Term Contract (“WissZeitVG”) since 11.03.2016 the actual duration of the contract might depend on individual qualifications of the applicant)
• Working time: 65% of a full-time position
• Application deadline: 18 August 2017

University

• The University Duisburg-Essen aims at promoting the diversity of its members
• The University Duisburg-Essen has been awarded for its effort to promote gender equality with the “Total-E-Quality-Award”. It aims at increasing the share of women in the scientific personnel and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. Women will be preferentially considered when equally qualified according to the state equality law.
• Applications from disabled or equivalents according to § 2 (3) SGB IX are encouraged.

Application details

Applications and inquiries with reference-code 425-17 should be addressed to:
Prof. Dr. Meckenstock
University Duisburg-Essen
Faculty of Chemistry
45117 Essen
Telefon +49 (0) 201/183 – 6602 / E-mail: agathe.materla@uni-due.de