<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">I am recruiting a <b>Postdoctoral researcher</b> in the field of <b>organic geochemistry and soil microbiology </b>(https://duw.unibas.ch/en/research-groups/organic-geochemistry/). The researcher
will be part of a project developing and applying hydrogen isotope ratios of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) as indicators of soil microbial metabolism, and integrating this proxy with multi ‘omic tools (metabolomics, metatranscriptomics, metagenomics). Research is
planned in collaboration with scientists from the University of Bern and the University of Arizona, USA. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b>Your position and tasks<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -16.5pt 0.0001pt -14.2pt; text-align: justify;">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -16.5pt 0in 0in; text-align: justify;">Soil is a critical storage pool for carbon in Earth’s surface. How carbon cycling will change in soils as a result of anthropogenic climate forcing remains unclear, in part because
of limited mechanistic understanding of how microbial metabolism and diversity combine to affect carbon portioning between microbial biomass and respiration (known as carbon use efficiency or CUE). In central Europe, increased drought frequency and intensity
is likely to impact carbon cycling and CUE in soils in the near future, due to changes in the availability of organic matter as moisture content decreases, and to changes in the composition of organic matter input from plants. To improve our process-based
understanding of how carbon cycling will change in the soils of central European forests under drought, the SNSF funded project “Drought Impacts on soil microbial metabolism in European foRests (DRIER)” will develop and apply a novel tool to quantify changes
in the central carbon metabolism of soil microbial communities. Within the context of this larger project, the postdoctoral researcher will test the suitability of compound-specific hydrogen isotope measurements of PLFAs as a proxy for net soil microbial metabolism.
They will conduct a series of increasingly complex laboratory experiments beginning with simple co-cultures inoculated with two model bacterial species and progressing to mesocosms of natural microbiomes from local forest soils, from which they will integrate
compound-specific isotopic data with metabolomic, metatranscriptomic, and metagenomic analyses. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b>Your profile<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">We are looking for a researcher with a doctoral degree in organic geochemistry, soil biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, microbiology, or a related discipline. Candidates should have significant
experience with <b>compound specific stable isotopes OR with multi ‘omic datasets</b>. The ability to work both independently and within a team, as well as good communication skills including <b>fluency in English</b> are essential. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b>We offer you<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">The postdoctoral researcher will be part of a research team funded by a Swiss National Science Foundation Starting grant to Prof. Dr. Nemiah Ladd. The contract will initially be for a period of
one year, with a two-year extension (three years total) based on performance. We offer an international, multidisciplinary work environment and excellent research infrastructure. Compensation is according to the guidelines of the Swiss National Science Foundation
(<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.snf.ch/" style="color: purple;"><span lang="EN-US">www.snf.ch</span></a></span>) and the postdoctoral researcher will be employed full time (100 %).<b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b>Application / Contact<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">Please submit your complete application documents, including (i) a letter stating your research interests and motivation for applying for the position, your experience and skills (maximum length
of 2 pages), (ii) a CV including a publication list, (iii) contact details of three references, and (iv) transcripts and diplomas of your masters and doctoral degrees (if available) via our online recruiting platform here: https://jobs.unibas.ch/offene-stellen/postdoctoral-researcher-in-organic-geochemistry-and-soil-microbiology/05822772-1bf2-4287-8fb7-e63a536b9b10 <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">Only online applications submitted through the recruiting platform will be considered.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Nemiah Ladd (<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="mailto:n.ladd@unibas.ch" style="color: purple;"><span lang="EN-US">n.ladd@unibas.ch</span></a></span>).
Review of applications will begin 15 September 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. <font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<div>
<div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">
<div>S. Nemiah Ladd, PhD<br>
SNF Eccellenza Assistant Professor<br>
Department of Environmental Sciences<br>
University of Basel<br>
Bernoullistrasse 30<br>
CH-4056 Basel<br>
n.ladd@unibas.ch<br>
www.nemiahladd.com</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
</body>
</html>