Post-Doc position in fungal biogeography in Zürich

The ETH chair for Global Ecosystem Ecology (Crowther Lab) in the Institute for Integrative Biology offers a postdoc position in fungal biogeography (Prof. Dr. Thomas Crowther), with co-supervision from Dr. Colin Averill. The position is based in Zürich Switzerland, with travel to Amsterdam and the USA possible. It is initially limited to two years with an option for extension and is paid according to the of ETH Zürich. The project is in close collaboration with Dr. Michael Van Nuland at the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), and Prof. Dr. Toby Kiers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands).

Nearly all plants on Earth form a root symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. These organisms are central to how plants access critically limiting soil resources like nutrients and water. Yet, despite their critical importance, we lack a fundamental understanding of global mycorrhizal fungal biodiversity patterns, and how variation in fungal communities influences key ecosystem functions like carbon capture.

We are searching for a postdoctoral researcher to finish analysis and writing of a number of exciting mycorrhizal ecology projects. Our team has built multiple large-scale projects with inter-connected datasets on mycorrhizal biodiversity, forest carbon dynamics, and fungal microbiome manipulation field experiments

We are now looking for a postdoctoral researcher excited to lead analyses, data visualisations and writing of upcoming fungal biogeography projects and/or synthesis across projects for publication in academic journals. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in written communication, data analysis, visualisation, and working across diverse groups.

The successful applicant will collaborate with SPUN’s lead data scientist and our Lab’s data science team, which can accelerate large scale computing lifts and general coding challenges. This position is an opportunity to focus on generating publications, without any time commitment to field or laboratory work, though visits to Amsterdam, the USA, and our field site in Wales are possible.

The successful applicant has a PhD in microbial ecology, biology or related fields and will bring a passion for biodiversity and fungi. We expect you to have ownership of all work from end-to-end and take part in strategic thinking. Communicating, developing and documenting all research with incredible detail is key.

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.