Biomarker lipids for past environmental change - PhD position in Zürich

The Earth Ecosystem Dynamics Group (Geological Institute, Department of Earth Sciences) at ETH Zurich 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 presence of nitrogen fixers and nitrifiers). Your research will be part of the funded SNSF starting grant research project ROOTS (PI: Prof. Cindy De Jonge): “Reconstructing soil fertility across Time and Space”, which will consist of 2 PhD students and a post-doc by the end of 2024.

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 nitrogen fixers and nitrifiers. Using a combination of bacterial cultures and environmental gradients in nitrogen availability, a suite of biomarker lipids will be targeted, from bacterial fatty acids to novel compounds identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry, such as bacteriohopanepolyols. The research will require an interest in applying mass spectroscopic techniques, statistical approaches to develop calibrations, and generate environmental reconstructions through time.

• We are looking for a highly motivated researcher to perform this research, with a relevant MSc degree (i.e., earth sciences, environmental sciences).
• You should be able to outline experience in organic geochemistry, mass-spectrometry or other lab-based analytical methods and interest or experience in tracing soil microbial processes.
• As the position is within an international and interdisciplinary scientific environment, active collaborations within and outside the group require an inclusive mindset to cross boundaries of disciplines and cultures.
• You should ideally also demonstrate previous fieldwork experience, as brief field campaigns within Europe are planned to recover soil cores and soil surface samples samples (~1-2 weeks).
• Good oral and written communication skills in English are expected to be obtained during the position.

Furthermore, we aim to maintain and expand our diversity and thus, we encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply.

We offer guidance and facilities to ensure that you will learn state-of-the-art analytical techniques and develop research concepts that cross scientific boundaries. You will be embedded in a group that promotes maintaining a good work-life balance and stimulates scientific integrity by providing excellent scientific support. The research training addresses field, numerical, statistical, and laboratory skills, equipping you for a career across a range of professions, including academia. Furthermore, you will learn essential communication skills by presenting at national and international conferences, and by writing peer-reviewed publications and a PhD thesis. We offer a fully funded four-year PhD that will start in the spring or summer of 2024 (latest: 31/07/2024), under the mentorship of Prof. Cindy De Jonge (supported by a doctoral committee).

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