The Department of Environmental Science is one of the biggest departments at the Faculty of Science. The department is divided into four units with more than 190 researchers, teachers, doctoral students and technical/administrative staff from over 30 countries.
The project is a collaboration between ACES, the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP) and The Baltic Sea Centre (BSC). It will be embedded within the new Stockholm University Center for Circular and Sustainable Systems (SUCCeSS). The vision of SUCCeSS is to lead and promote research on circular and sustainable systems to drive the transformation towards a sustainable society.
Project description
The position will be associated with the interdisciplinary project “Safe Water Reuse in a Changing Environment – Microbial Degradation of Contaminants in European Rivers”. Increasing water reuse is at the heart of Europe's climate change adaptation strategy to counter water scarcity. Sustainable and safe reuse is hampered by a complex mixture of contaminants that reach recipient waters due to their incomplete elimination in sewage treatment plants. Very little is known about their fate in the environment and the self-purification capacities of natural systems.
The project will combine molecular, chemical analytical and biogeochemical tools to generate and link knowledge on the interplay of microbial communities, carbon cycling and contaminant biodegradation in the aquatic environment - which is a crucial prerequisite for safe and sustainable reuse.
The goals of the project are:
1) To assess and link in situ microbial diversity, degradation of polar organic contaminants and organic matter quality in European river systems.
2) To link microbial transcriptional activity with degradation rates of model contaminants and organic matter quality in experimental bioassays.
3) Establish proxies and use output from existing models of organic carbon sources and fate in limnic systems to predict present and future degradation rates in rivers.
Molecular analysis will be performed at DEEP, chemical analyses at ACES, and biogeochemical analyses at BSC. These environments will offer the successful applicant ample opportunities for scientific diversification. As part of a young team supported by senior academics, you will have access to rich mentoring resources.
Main responsibilities
The position involves research including experimental design to meet the scientific goals of the project. The postdoctoral fellow will be expected to plan, conduct, interpret and communicate research and results and should have a strong interest in interdisciplinary collaborative work.
The focus will be on environmental microbiology, including field sampling and experimental work, molecular laboratory work, data analysis, and writing of scientific manuscripts. Established methods for carbon and contaminant analyses will be applied.
As part of the project the candidate will be expected to work in small teams at sampling sites across Europe (including Italy, Germany and Sweden).
Qualification requirements
Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.
Assessment criteria
The degree must have been completed at latest before the employment decision is made, but no more than three years before the closing date. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances. Special reasons refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances as well as clinical attachment or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.
In the appointment process, special attention will be given to research skills in relevant areas for the position. The successful postdoc candidate is expected to have experience in environmental microbiology, including DNA extraction, PCR, preferably next generation sequencing library preparation, and knowledge of analyzing 16S rRNA gene amplicon data.
It is an asset if the candidate has research skills in mass spectrometry and analytical chemistry, knowledge on carbon cycling in aquatic ecosystems, and has previously participated in field work, including water and sediment sampling.
Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date November 1 2022 or as per agreement.
Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.
Contact
Further information about the position can be obtained from PIs Malte Posselt (ACES) malte.posselt@aces.su.se, telephone +46 073 081 2097, Florian Roth (BSC) florian.roth@su.se, or Elias Broman (DEEP) elias.broman@su.se.
Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, saco@saco.su.se, Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/Lärarförbundet), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, alejandra@st.su.se, and seko@seko.su.se (SEKO).
Application
Apply for the position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.
Please include the following information with your application
- Your contact details and personal data
- Your highest degree
- Your language skills
- Contact details for 2–3 references
and, in addition, please include the following documents
- Cover letter
- CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
- Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
– why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
– why and how you wish to complete the project - Copy of PhD diploma
- Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
- Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).
The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position
Apply for the job at the university website: Click here
You are welcome to apply!
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