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Saturday, September 25, 2010

PhD candidate in Molecular Ecology / Microbial Ecology, Netherlands

Overview

Within IBED, the research group Aquatic Microbiology, led by Prof. Jef Huisman, received a TOP grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for the project 'Effects of rising CO2 concentrations on resource competition in plankton communities'.

Climate change scenarios predict that atmospheric CO2 concentrations will double by the end of this century. Phytoplankton species utilize CO2 for photosynthesis, accounting for almost 50% of the world's carbon fixation. Yet, theory capable of predicting changes in phytoplankton species composition in response to rising CO2 is still in its infancy. Therefore, this project aims to develop such theory, using a combination of mathematical models, laboratory experiments and field studies.

Our research team consists of three senior scientific staff, two lab technicians, and a varying number of externally funded PhD students and postdocs.

Tasks

This PhD project will focus on the molecular identification and functional usage of different carbon uptake strategies in isolated species and in mixtures of phytoplankton species. An initial goal will be to select and sequence genes involved in different carbon uptake systems and related metabolic activities. These molecular tools will then serve in the study of dynamic changes in mRNA transcript levels of these genes under different environmental conditions (e.g., at different CO2 concentrations). Expression profiles acquired in laboratory competition experiments and natural lakes will be related to species succession using species-specific quantification of gene expression.


Requirements

■Master in molecular ecology, microbiology, or plant physiology
■Experience with RNA or DNA isolation for microarray and/or PCR techniques
■Experience with sequence analysis software and molecular phylogeny
■Experience with laboratory cultures of microorganisms
■Affinity with aquatic ecology is recommended
■Ability to work in multidisciplinary research teams

Further information

For additional information, please contact Dr Hans Matthijs, +31 20 525 7070, j.c.p.matthijs@uva.nl.

Appointment

The start date is early 2011. The full-time appointment will be on a temporary basis for a maximum period of four years (18 months plus a further 30 months after a positive evaluation) and should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). An educational plan will be drafted that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. The PhD student is also expected to assist in teaching of undergraduates. The full-time gross monthly salary will range from €2,042 in the first year to €2,612 in the final year, according to the Dutch salary scales for PhD students. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable. The annual salary will be increased with 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.

Job application

Applications should include a detailed CV including a list of publications, a motivation letter, and the names and contact addresses of two references from which information about the candidate can be obtained. Applications should be send by email to application-science@uva.nl. Please quote the vacancy number in the subject field. The deadline for applications is 14 November 2010. Interviews will be held in December.


Please kindly mention Scholarization.blogspot.com when applying for this scholarship


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Scholarship Team: Ph.D Scholar Krisstofferson Joniel Scholarship Adviser, PhD Scholar Vitom Chea Scholarship Adviser, PhD Scholar Rebecca T. Dalisay Scholarship Adviser, Ph.D Student Jiao Wang Scholarship Coordinator, MSc Student Dennise Maricel Scholarship Coordinator
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Scholarship Team: Ph.D Scholar Krisstofferson Joniel Scholarship Adviser, PhD Scholar Chea Vitom Scholarship Adviser and Senior Lecturer, PhD Scholar Rebecca T. Dalisay Scholarship Adviser, Ph.D Student Jiao Wang Scholarship Coordinator, MSc Student Dennise Maricel Scholarship Coordinator