PhD for proxy development – lipid biomarkers in Zürich

The Earth Ecosystem Dynamics Group (Geological Institute, Department of Earth Sciences) is looking for a highly motivated PhD student with an interest in past environmental changes, soil chemistry and organic geochemistry, to work on developing lipid-based proxies for soil fertility (defined here as the concentration of exchangeable cations). Your research will be part of the funded SNSF starting grant research project ROOTS (PI: Dr Cindy De Jonge): “Reconstructing soil fertility across Time and Space”.

Currently, soils store a large fraction of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. However, whether they will continue to do so in the future is unclear, as soil fertility potentially limits the amount of primary production (carbon fixation) and belowground carbon storage. Current experimental approaches reveal a complex interaction between the above- and belowground ecosystem, and its chemical environment. A historical perspective, i.e. looking at past changes in soil fertility and carbon storage, can elucidate these processes on timescales that exceed experimental approaches (decades to millennia). While changes in atmospheric CO2 and climate are well constrained using a combination of direct measurements and estimates based on proxies, we currently have no methods to reconstruct soil fertility through time. In this project, you will develop biomarker lipid proxies that allow quantifying soil mineral fertility, building on current research that highlights the dependency of GDGT lipids on major soil exchangeable cations: free hydrogen, exchangeable calcium and exchangeable iron.

During this PhD project, you will learn to apply state-of-the-art analytical techniques and research concepts that cross scientific boundaries. You will also present at national and international conferences, and write peer-reviewed publications and a PhD thesis. The research training addresses field, numerical, statistical and laboratory skills, equipping the student for a career across a range of professions.

• You should have a relevant MSc degree (i.e., earth sciences, environmental sciences).
• You should be able to outline experience in organic geochemistry or other lab-based analytical methods and be interested in applying statistical approaches to develop calibrations and generate environmental reconstructions through time.
• You should have a keen interest in working in an international and interdisciplinary scientific environment.
• Ideally, you should also demonstrate previous fieldwork experience, as brief field campaigns within Europe and the Democratic Republic of Congo are planned to recover soil cores and soil surface samples (~1-2 weeks each).
• Good oral and written communication skills in English are expected to be obtained during the position.

We offer a fully funded four-year PhD that will start in the summer of 2023 (latest: 01/11/2023), under the mentorship of Dr Cindy De Jonge (supported by a doctoral committee).

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