Project background: Microbial nitrogen (N) cycling in soil strongly impacts plant nutrition – mineralization of organic biomass can provide plants with N sources, while other microbial activities such as nitrification and denitrification reduce plant-available N. Microbially-mediated inorganic N transformations have been extensively studied, but knowledge on the controls of organic N cycling and of microbial inorganic fertilizer assimilation in soil remains scarce. Further, soil organic N mineralization may be strongly dependent on the soil habitat, e.g. root exudates were shown to increase degradation of soil organic matter in the rhizosphere. Considering the potential role of soil microorganisms to intermittently immobilize fertilizer N and then regenerate plant-available inorganic N compounds, modulation of soil- and plant-associated microbiomes represents a promising approach to improve plant N nutrition.
In this project, we will investigate rhizosphere microbial communities that are involved in N cycling with the goal to identify microbial consortia that improve N nutrition in agriculturally-relevant plants. While working together with other members of the team, this postdoctoral position will focus on identifying microorganisms involved in organic and inorganic N cycling by combining 15N-tracer studies with the identification of involved microorganisms using -omics techniques. This will be joined with cultivation and functional characterization of consortia members.
We are offering a postdoctoral researcher position for up to 3 years according to the funding scheme of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) in an interdisciplinary, international and dynamic team of microbial ecologists and terrestrial ecosystem ecologists. This position is funded by the Cluster of Excellence 'Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health' and housed at the University of Vienna in the Woebken group. It provides the opportunity for the candidate to be creative and innovative, and to work in a multidisciplinary project involving various cutting-edge methods.
Required qualifications:
- PhD degree in microbiology / biological sciences and a background in soil microbial ecology.
- Interest in microbial nutrient cycling in soils and a comprehensive understanding of microbial physiology.
- Experience in generating and interpreting metagenomic or metatranscriptomic data is a plus.
- The ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative research team.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
What we offer:
- Highly topical research at the intersection soil microbial ecology, microbial physiology and bioinformatics.
- Combination of lab-based experiments with omics-data analysis.
- A diverse and stimulating work environment at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, in the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science.
- Access to diverse facilities for state-of-the-art analyses in microbial ecology.
Mode of application: Your application should consist of a letter of motivation addressing the stated qualifications for the position, research interests and relevant experience. The application should further consist of your CV, including a publication list and conference attendances, university certificate(s) and contact information of three references. For more information on the application process please go to the webpage https://microplanet.at/howtoapply of the Cluster of Excellence ‘microPlanet’ project. To apply for the position of this job advertisement, please choose the position ‘Nitrogen cycling in soil and its implication in plant nutrition’, associated with WP 6.1 (https://microplanet.at/wp6.1-postdoc).
Starting date: The position should start in summer 2024, or as soon as filled.