Postdoc position in Biogeochemistry (1.0 FTE) (1 year)

The Department of Earth Sciences is looking for a highly-motivated applicant to fill a postdoctoral research position on ‘Methane dynamics in marine sediments’. Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (AOM) prevents release of this potent greenhouse gas from aquatic sediments to the atmosphere. In sediments, AOM may be coupled to metal oxide reduction. At present, the geochemical pathways and microorganisms involved and their relevance in natural environments are not well-understood. The Postdoc will study the role of metal oxides in AOM through laboratory experiments with marine sediments collected from field locations. We will specifically target field sites with manganese- and iron-oxide-rich and methane-rich sediments. The Postdoc position is funded by the Netherlands Earth Systems Science Center (NESSC), which is a virtual research centre comprising experts from five research organizations in the Netherlands. Financial support for NESSC is provided by a Gravitation grant from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science which supports excellent research.
The research team members for the current Postdoctoral position include Project Leader Prof. dr. Caroline P. Slomp (P.I.) at the Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, and Prof. dr. Mike Jetten at Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The Postdoc will be based at Utrecht University.