PhD Stipend in Uncovering Microbial Interactions for Biocontrol Strategies

PhD Stipend in Uncovering Microbial Interactions for Biocontrol Strategies

At the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, a PhD stipend is available within the general study program. The PhD stipend is open for appointment from 01.04.2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is for 3 years, and the workplace is in Aalborg. Do you want to be part of exploring how microbial interactions can drive innovative biocontrol strategies in environmental biotechnology? Are you passionate about microbial ecology, bioinformatics, and experimental microbiology? And do you thrive in a collaborative research environment while also taking initiative and working independently? If yes, we look forward to reading your application!

Jobbeskrivelse
The PhD stipend is part of the Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology- Project Grant funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation“Exploiting microbial interactions for biocontrol in wastewater treatment: Fighting foam-formers(BioFIGHT)”. Specifically, as part of your PhD research, you will explore microbial prey-predator interactions to develop innovative biocontrol strategies for environmental biotechnology. This project will combine computational and experimental approaches, leveraging large-scale longitudinal microbial datasets from wastewater treatment systems. You will apply experimental methods such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and advanced microscopy to investigate prey-predator interactions, unravel antagonistic mechanisms, and validate key findings. Within a broader framework, your work will contribute to the development of biocontrol alternatives to real-world environmental problems.

The PhD candidate will be anchored in the Center for Microbial Communities that has approx. 50 scientists at various career levels, working with structure and function of microbial communities, primarily related to environmental microbiology and biotechnology. The Center has state of the art equipment within DNA and RNA sequencing, laboratory automation, CPU and GPU compute resources, proteomics, metabolomics, and advanced microscopy.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary and international research environment, collaborating with experts in microbial ecology, bioinformatics, and wastewater engineering.

Requirements:

• A Master's degree in Biotechnology, Microbial ecology, Environmental or Chemical Engineering, Bioinformatics, or a closely related field.
• Knowledge of, or experience with, molecular techniques and bioinformatics analysis.
• Proficiency in data analysis and statistics is desirable.
• Excellent oral and written English language skills are a requirement.
• The applicant must be committed to working in a diverse, international and interdisciplinary research environment.

You may obtain further information from Professor Per Halkjær Nielsen ([email protected]) concerning the scientific aspects of the stipend.

You can read more about the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience here.

Application:
The application must contain:

(1) Cover letter of max. 2 pages including motivation for applying, and an explanation of the applicant’s background and suitability for the position.

(2) Project description, which is required for technical purposes– when applying for a specific project, please upload a copy of the project description. However, a brief research plan(max 1 page) reflecting your vision of the project is strongly encouraged.

(3) CV

(4) Diploma and transcripts of records(bachelor’s degree and master’s degree)

(5) Other relevant information(e.g., names and contact information of 1-3 referees, no reference letters required).

PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.
When the hiring process is completed, a final rejection will be sent to the applicants who are not considered for the position.

For further information about stipends and salary as well as practical issues concerning the application procedure contact Ms. xxx, The Doctoral School at The Faculty of Engineering and Science, email:[email protected], phone:+45 9940 7408.

For more information of The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science:www.phd.engineering.aau.dk

The application is only to be submitted online by using the"Apply online" button below.

AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Løn og ansættelsesvilkår
Appointment and salary as a PhD fellow are according to the Ministry of Finance Circular of 15 December 2021 on the Collective Agreement for Academics in Denmark, Appendix 5, regarding PhD fellows, and with the current Circular of 11 December 2019 on the employment structure at Danish universities.

Ansøgningsfrist
2025-02-25

Ref. nummer
18-25007

Afdeling
Department of Chemistry and Bioscience