PhD position on Effect Directed Analysis on microbial communities as indicators of chemical and ecotoxicological quality status of the aquatic environment

18 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research-National Spanish Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC)

Research Field

Environmental science

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

14 Apr 2024 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

15 Mar 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE / MSCA

Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number

101119261

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

No

Offer Description

BACKGROUND

This doctoral position is 1 of 10 doctoral positions offered within the he HORIZON Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Network Pharm-ERA : “Improving monitoring and Environmental Risk Assessment of PHARMaceuticals, antimicrobial resistance and pathogens from terrestrial to aquatic environments”.

Global contamination of soil and aquatic ecosystems by pharmaceutical and microbiological pollutants (such as antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms and/or pathogens) raises severe concerns about impacts on ecosystem health and repercussions on humans and animals. Preserving ecosystems from adverse ecotoxicological effects of pharmaceuticals and their transformation products, and limiting the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance and pathogens is imperative to reach several UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as the European Green Deal, Water Framework Directive and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. In this context, the main scientific objective of Pharm-ERA is to develop and implement innovative concepts, methods and strategies to improve the monitoring and assessment of the environmental effects and risks of pharmaceuticals, their transformation products, antimicrobial resistances and pathogens from terrestrial to aquatic environments. The ultimate goal is to provide scientific evidence and expertise to contribute to reducing the environmental spread and impact of these chemical and microbiological contaminants and to preserve microbial diversity and functions across the soil-water-sediment continuum.

By joining Pharm-ERA, you will integrate a high-level interdisciplinary and intersectoral research and training network based on 10 doctoral projects covering scientific disciplines including environmental and analytical chemistry, microbial ecology, ecotoxicology, molecular biology (incl. multi-omics approaches) and chemical fate/effect modelling. Pharm-ERA involves 9 Beneficiaries (including 2 non-academics) and 6 Associated Partners (including 5 non-academics), committed to contribute to research, training, dissemination, communication and exploitation of results targeting end-users such as environmental consultancies and agencies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PhD PROJECT

Aquatic ecosystems are continuously exposed to complex mixtures of organic contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, which gives rise to concern for potential risks for ecological and human health even at the trace level. To address the complexity of mixtures of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) present in environmental waters, Effect-Directed Analysis (EDA) is a cutting-edge approach. EDA combines biological activity testing and stepwise fractionation with chemical analysis to prioritize biologically active CECs in environmental matrices. Despite its broad use in environmental monitoring, such an approach still lacks ecological relevance since most of bioassays focus on specific in vitro endpoints. To tackle this gap, aquatic microbial communities (i.e. biofilms) are a complex consortium of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, particularly sensitive to multiple environmental stressors and chemical contamination. In particular periphytic biofilms are widely used in ecotoxicological assessment as biomonitoring systems for detection of exposure to toxicants and associated ecological effects on aquatic ecosystems. A multi-biomarker approach can be used for the detection of effects of chemicals -or mixtures of them- on biofilms, ranging from structural to functional-based descriptors.

In this context, this PhD project aims to develop and validate an innovative approach for Effect Directed Analysis (EDA) based on responses of natural freshwater biofilms for the identification of CECs potentially leading to ecological impairment. The PhD student will join the Environmental and Water Chemistry for Human Health (ONHEALTH) Research group at the IDAEA-CSIC (Spain). The fellow will develop and implement:

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) vs (Ultra)High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) based Fractionation

miniaturized periphyton-based bioassays to assess structural and functional response,

UHPLC coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). In addition, the PhD student will have a hand-on cutting-edge HRMS-based untargeted metabolomics approach and will get experience on regulatory bioassay testing on single organisms including bacteria and algae.

Requirements

Research Field

Environmental science

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Knowledge in environmental analytical chemistry, Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, ecotoxicology, microbial and aquatic ecology, academic writing, and data analysis
• Master degree in environmental analytical chemistry, ecotoxicology, environmental sciences or similar programs

Specific Requirements

• MSCA Mobility Rule: researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment
• All researchers recruited in a DN must be doctoral candidates (i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment)
• Scientific excellence to fit the PhD project
• Fluent (oral and written) English skills as the project operates in English language
• Knowledge of the language of the host country may be considered a merit
• Team-mindedness

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Environmental science

Additional Information
Eligibility criteria

• MSCA Mobility Rule: researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment
• All researchers recruited in a DN must be doctoral candidates (i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment

Selection process

How to apply to Pharm-ERA?

Select your topic in the PhD offers page & download the detailed offer, please note that it is possible to apply for several offers
 

Download application form (here) and fill it indicating all the offers you wish to apply for. Save it with the name "PhD application form - YOUR NAME (first and last)"
 

Send your application by email to [email protected] . The title of your email MUST be : Pharm-ERA PhD x, x, x application (x, x, x being the number(s) of the PhD position(s) you want to apply for). Please favor sending documents using a file transfer solution (e.g. wetransfer )
 

Be careful to join all documentation required (see list below)
 

You will receive an aknowledgment of receipt within the next 2 working days (if it's not the case, send an email to [email protected] )
 

DEADLINE for application is April 14th 2024, 6:00 pm french time

Additional comments
Documentation to be sent in by applicants:

• Application form completed
• Letter of motivation
• Contact of two reference persons to be contacted by the selection committee (name, relation to the candidate, e-mail address and phone number)
• CV
• Complete list of publications and academic works
• Proof of language proficiencies
• Proof of master diploma or 2024 registration to master degree

Website for additional job details

https://pharm-era.hub.inrae.fr

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research-National Spanish Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC)

Country

Spain

City

Barcelona

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://pharm-era.hub.inrae.fr/phd-recruitment/how-to-apply

Contact

City

Barcelona

Website

https://pharm-era.hub.inrae.fr

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED