PhD Candidate in Microbial Physiology

24 Feb 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Radboud University

Research Field

Physics

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)
First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

26 Mar 2024 - 23:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Are you fascinated by microbiology and how microbes can be used to combat climate change? We are seeking a PhD candidate interested in the microbial physiology of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and their capacity to turn the greenhouse gas methane into electricity. Join us in this exciting project to explore these fascinating microorganisms!

Microorganisms are key drivers in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Anaerobic methanotrophic archaea form a biological filter in aquatic environments, limiting the amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere. Their unique capabilities offer promising applications in biotechnology, enabling the mitigation of methane emissions from municipal and industrial waste streams. Recently, we have discovered that they can turn methane into electricity when they are cultivated on electrodes.

In this PhD project, you will investigate the microbial physiology of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea cultivated on bio-electrodes. You will discover which enzymes are involved in the electricity production and how these archaea interact with other community members. Furthermore, you will cultivate novel methanotrophs on bio-electrodes to describe their electrochemical and physiological properties. During this project, you will join a dynamic and diverse research team within the Department of Microbiology at the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES). Throughout this project, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with experts across various scientific domains and contribute up to 10% of your working time to teaching responsibilities.

For further information, please read our recent paper by Ouboter et al., 2024 (Nature Communications) https://rdcu.be/dyS7s .

This PhD project is part of the NWO-VIDI project ’Biogas to Bioenergy ’.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

• You have an MSc degree in life sciences (biology, microbiology, biotechnology, or a related area) with a focus on microbiology.
• You are proficient in English, both written and spoken.
• You have the mindset required to develop into an independent scientist (growth mindset).
• Knowledge of basic microbiological methods is essential.
• Experience in anaerobic microbiology or with bioreactor techniques is considered an advantage.

Additional Information
Benefits

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,541 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,247 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Selection process

You can apply until 26 March 2024, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Cornelia Welte. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV.

The first round of interviews will take place on Wednesday 3 April. You would preferably begin employment on 1 September 2024.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information .

Additional comments

For questions about the position, please contact Cornelia Welte, Associate Professor, at [email protected] .

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/338201/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Radboud University

Country

Netherlands

City

Nijmegen

Postal Code

6525 XZ

Street

Houtlaan 4

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/338201/phd-candidate-in-microbial-physiolog…

Contact

City

Nijmegen

Website

http://www.ru.nl/

Street

Houtlaan 4

Postal Code

6525 XZ

STATUS: EXPIRED