Post doctoral position (2 years) focused on coastal bacterial community composition and function - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, EMG, Umeå University, is opening a post doc position to study coastal bacterial community composition and function. The position is expected to start in September 2023 or according to agreement. Closing date for applications is July 21st, 2023.

Project description
Coastal zones are high productive and dynamic environments with a complex hydrology due to the strong influence both from land and the sea. Heterotrophic bacteria can be promoted because of the inflow of terrestrial organic matter from land which are mixed with nutrients and organic matter from the offshore sea. It is likely that not only that bacterial taxonomic composition will change but also the bacterial function will change in the transition zone from river to open sea. Our hypothesis is that the bacterial carbon metabolism changes from being specialized on degradation of refractive terrestrial substances in the rivers to being dedicated on degrading labile marine autochthonous matter. It is also possible that gene transfer is occurring between different bacterial groups in transitions zones such as the coast. That could be a mechanism for adaptation to changing substrate and salinity.

In this project we will use metagenomics to study bacterial community composition and function focused on the carbon metabolism in different coastal areas. Multivariate statistics will be used to find links between the bacterial community composition and function and physicochemical factors. The project includes analyses of existing datasets and performance of experiments.

Qualifications
To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the appointment decision.

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

The candidate should have a doctoral degree or an equivalent degree in ecology with a focus on microbial ecology. The candidate should have documented experience of studies of aquatic microorganisms taxonomy and metabolism. It is a requirement to have experience in bioinformatics of DNA metabarcoding, metagenomics/metatranscriptomics. To be eligible for this position, you should have completed your doctoral degree maximum three (3) years before the end of the application period.

Experience of coastal studies, molecular laboratory work, statistics and programming (e.g. Linux, R, Python) is required. Good ability to co-operate as well as to work independently and take initiative is needed for this position. Good skills in written and spoken English are also required.

Application
The full application should include:

• A cover letter describing why you are interested in the project and your suitability (max. 2 pages).
• A CV, including a list of your publications
• Copies of your doctoral thesis and relevant publications (maximum 5)
• Copy of doctoral degree certificate and other relevant degree certificates.
• Names and contact details (mail and phone) of three reference persons.
• Any other documents you wish to refer to.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. The application is made through our electronic recruitment system. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of this page. The closing date is July 21st, 2023.

Contact
For more information, contact Prof. Agneta Andersson (agneta.andersson@umu.se, Tel: +46 90 7869845).

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-ecology-and-environmental-science/ carries out research and postgraduate education in ecology, environmental science and physical geography. The department has about 150 employees, about 20 of whom are post-docs.