The Institute of Biodiversity at the Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, is offering – pending on the final confirmation for financial support by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgmeinschaft) – a 36-months appointment, for a Scientist with expertise in Microbiology and Molecular Ecology to conduct research in the area of rhizosphere and soil microbiology.

It is a part-time position with 65% of a full position with the possibility to work an a Ph.D thesis. The position is within the DFG funded priority program “Rhizosphere Spatiotemporal Organization – a Key to Rhizosphere Functions” (SPP 2089). The title of the Thünen project is “Self-organized microbial networks in soil aggregates and their dynamics in the root soil continuum”. It involves experimental work in the laboratory, greenhouse and participation in a joint field study. Microbial communities will be analyzed by means of metagenomes and transcriptomes.

Job description:
Optimization of a DNA and RNA extraction protocol to analyze soil samples collected from different spatial regions of the root soil continuum

• nucleic acid purification and PCR amplification of rRNA genes and other genes for DNA sequencing and quantification by real-time PCR
• design and set-up of experimental studies, including soil microcosm and soil column experiments with maize, use of ¹⁴C-tracers and/or ¹³C isotopes and implementation of a spatially targeted sampling strategy, consideration of statistical requirements
• bioinformatic analyses of DNA sequences for phylogenetics, statistical data evaluation and visualization of results
• presentations of project-related results at internal and external meetings
• generation of reports for internal purposes and manuscripts for publication in international peer-reviewed journals

Your Profile:

• university degree (M.Sc., Diploma) in microbiology, biotechnology, bioinformatics or related disciplines
• interest in environmental microbiology and systems ecology
• knowledge in molecular ecology, next-generation DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatic analyses is appreciated
• knowledge in statistical data analyses, in particular with R, is appreciated
• ability to work independently and strong capacity for interdisciplinary teamwork is required
• strong communication skills
• candidates should be fluent in English (written and spoken)
• candidates should be willing to travel within Germany and spend time (days) for sampling and sample preparation and cooperation with partners
• German language skills are advantageous but not required

Please contact Prof. Dr Christoph Tebbe (+49 531 596 2553; Email: christoph.tebbe@thuenen.de) for inquiries about the position.