The Institute for Biodiversity of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, is seeking with a starting date of August 1, 2020, for a period of three years, a Scientist – Microbiologist with expertise in analysing microbiomes, for research in the project AMMOFIT – New microbiological concentrates for biogas production from highly N-enriched substrates; Subproject – Evolution and dynamics of microbiomes.

The Thünen Institute is a German research institution linked to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The Institute pursues research for safeguarding and sustainably using natural resources and providing results for political decision-making. The Institute of Biodiversity investigates biological processes in agro-ecosystems. The position is within the working group “Microbiology and Molecular Ecology” headed by Prof. Christoph Tebbe. The place of work is Braunschweig. The AMMOFIT project is a cooperation of the Thünen Institute with the University of Applied Science and Art (HAWK) in Göttingen, Germany.

The efficiency of agricultural biogas production of organic waste is low in presence of high nitrogen loads. The objective of this project is to select and optimize this process by taking advantage of ammonium tolerant microbial communities and optimize their incubation conditions. The implications of different incubation conditions and adaptation strategies on the structural and functional diversity of the evolving microbiomes will be analyzed by cultivation-independent, nucleic acid-based technologies utilizing experimental biogas reactors.

For more details, including payment etc., see the official job announcement in the attachment, on the Website of the Institute under Job Offers (2020-072-BD) or contact directly by Email: christoph.tebbe@thuenen.de