PhD Environmental Microbial Ecology
EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe
and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main
missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working
environment at the heart of a community of more than 17,000 people, including over 12,500 students and 4,000
researchers from more than 120 different countries.
PhD Environmental Microbial Ecology
Mission
The laboratory for Microbiome Adaptation in the Changing Environment (MACE) lab is seeking PhD student to lead a
project on environmental adaptation of Alpine microbial communities. The successful candidate will join the Alpine and
Polar Environmental Research Centre (ALPOLE) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL),
Switzerland. The ALPOLE research center is based in Sion, Switzerland with a mission to address key challenges related
to environmental change in Alpine and Polar regions undergoing rapid and unprecedented transformations.
Permafrost landscapes are rapidly transforming due to anthropogenic climate change. Climate warming disproportionately
impacting cryosphere habitats results in an increased rate of permafrost degradation and further releases of greenhouse
gases (GHGs) via microbial decomposition of ancient carbon stores. The response of cryophilic microorganisms to warming
in polar and alpine regions will shape future GHG emissions. The PhD project will focus on the environmental adaptation
strategies of cryospheric microbial communities in response to climate warming and in turn gauge the downstream effects
these communities have on GHG emissions and ecosystem functions in alpine permafrost areas. To anticipate the full
potential of the microbial organisms to adapt to climate change the project will integrate understanding of both
community population level changes and individual molecular scale adaptation strategies that allow organisms to thrive
in rapidly changing and threatened permafrost environments. This will be achieved through integration of in situ field
measurements, culturing, multi-omics, and computational methods. Furthermore, the overall project will aim to integrate
multiple layers of data including biogeochemical measurements, cultivation of microorganism, Oxford nanopore
metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics/metaproteomics in a united analysis.
Main duties and responsibilities
As a PhD Student, you will be expected to:
- Have full responsibility for your own dissertation
- Carry out research activities related alpine permafrost microbiomes
- Participate in experimental design and execution
- Participate in field work and sample collection
- Completion of classes as requirements by the doctoral school
- Analysis and interpretation of experimental results
- Writing scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals
- Participate in teaching assistance
- Presenting results at international conferences
- Supervise Master student projects and basic administrative support
Profile
We are looking for candidate with:
- Master’s degree in a relevant field (environmental science, microbiology, molecular microbiology, genomics, ecology,
bioinformatics, etc)
or a BSc with Honours.
- Proven track record of written communication skills
- Familiarity with bioinformatics analysis
- Experience in molecular techniques
- Experience in classical microbiology techniques
- Willingness to participate/plan field expeditions in challenging places
We offer
- 4 years to complete your PhD with a competitive stipend
- An opportunity to develop a scientific career in Environmental Microbiology
- A chance to learn emerging techniques in microbiome science
- A world-class research and training environment with access to state-of-the-art research facilities
- Opportunities to attend and present research at international conferences
Informations
Your application should contain:
- A brief letter of motivation
- Copy of your CV including a list of publications
- Contact information for 2-3 references
Application deadline: Tentative deadline is November 24th. However applications will be assessed as soon as they are
received.
For more information, please contact: ianina.altshuler@epfl.ch (no applications send to this address shall be
considered).
If you are successful, you will need to be admitted to one of the EPFL doctoral school programs. Please check this
page for additional information. Please note that this is a separate application process necessary to be eligible to
complete your PhD at EPFL.
Contract Start Date : Flexible, early 2025
Activity Rate : 100%
Contract Type : PhD Student
Duration :
Reference : 1165
and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main
missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working
environment at the heart of a community of more than 17,000 people, including over 12,500 students and 4,000
researchers from more than 120 different countries.
PhD Environmental Microbial Ecology
Mission
The laboratory for Microbiome Adaptation in the Changing Environment (MACE) lab is seeking PhD student to lead a
project on environmental adaptation of Alpine microbial communities. The successful candidate will join the Alpine and
Polar Environmental Research Centre (ALPOLE) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL),
Switzerland. The ALPOLE research center is based in Sion, Switzerland with a mission to address key challenges related
to environmental change in Alpine and Polar regions undergoing rapid and unprecedented transformations.
Permafrost landscapes are rapidly transforming due to anthropogenic climate change. Climate warming disproportionately
impacting cryosphere habitats results in an increased rate of permafrost degradation and further releases of greenhouse
gases (GHGs) via microbial decomposition of ancient carbon stores. The response of cryophilic microorganisms to warming
in polar and alpine regions will shape future GHG emissions. The PhD project will focus on the environmental adaptation
strategies of cryospheric microbial communities in response to climate warming and in turn gauge the downstream effects
these communities have on GHG emissions and ecosystem functions in alpine permafrost areas. To anticipate the full
potential of the microbial organisms to adapt to climate change the project will integrate understanding of both
community population level changes and individual molecular scale adaptation strategies that allow organisms to thrive
in rapidly changing and threatened permafrost environments. This will be achieved through integration of in situ field
measurements, culturing, multi-omics, and computational methods. Furthermore, the overall project will aim to integrate
multiple layers of data including biogeochemical measurements, cultivation of microorganism, Oxford nanopore
metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics/metaproteomics in a united analysis.
Main duties and responsibilities
As a PhD Student, you will be expected to:
- Have full responsibility for your own dissertation
- Carry out research activities related alpine permafrost microbiomes
- Participate in experimental design and execution
- Participate in field work and sample collection
- Completion of classes as requirements by the doctoral school
- Analysis and interpretation of experimental results
- Writing scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals
- Participate in teaching assistance
- Presenting results at international conferences
- Supervise Master student projects and basic administrative support
Profile
We are looking for candidate with:
- Master’s degree in a relevant field (environmental science, microbiology, molecular microbiology, genomics, ecology,
bioinformatics, etc)
or a BSc with Honours.
- Proven track record of written communication skills
- Familiarity with bioinformatics analysis
- Experience in molecular techniques
- Experience in classical microbiology techniques
- Willingness to participate/plan field expeditions in challenging places
We offer
- 4 years to complete your PhD with a competitive stipend
- An opportunity to develop a scientific career in Environmental Microbiology
- A chance to learn emerging techniques in microbiome science
- A world-class research and training environment with access to state-of-the-art research facilities
- Opportunities to attend and present research at international conferences
Informations
Your application should contain:
- A brief letter of motivation
- Copy of your CV including a list of publications
- Contact information for 2-3 references
Application deadline: Tentative deadline is November 24th. However applications will be assessed as soon as they are
received.
For more information, please contact: ianina.altshuler@epfl.ch (no applications send to this address shall be
considered).
If you are successful, you will need to be admitted to one of the EPFL doctoral school programs. Please check this
page for additional information. Please note that this is a separate application process necessary to be eligible to
complete your PhD at EPFL.
Contract Start Date : Flexible, early 2025
Activity Rate : 100%
Contract Type : PhD Student
Duration :
Reference : 1165